The Great Parnassus Compromise
by Januarysixth
Summary: From the shadows, the First Order infiltrates Hosnian Prime's divided New Republic. Absorbing an unlikely ally into their ranks, one senator is key to their rise in political power. Kylo Ren remains watchful of their new associate. *Set a couple years prior to TFA.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** : Join me as I plunge face first into a Kylo Ren/OC trash compactor.

Set a couple years before the events of The Force Awakens.

Warning: I have no idea how the galactic government is supposed to work. Fortunately, no one else does either. The moral of this note is don't think too hard when you're reading my garbage.

* * *

Over the last half century the galaxy has known endless political violence and unrest. The administration has seen so much upheaval that many galactic residents can't remember whether they're now a republic or an empire. While only one ideology can maintain dominance at a time the opposing faction will always continue to organize itself in shadows. Not every sector of space identifies with this dichotomy however. Historically there have been many seats held by neutral parties on the Republic and even Imperial Senates. Many such planets are forgotten in the midst of the romantic wars between the Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire. Due to these wars many injustices were allowed to thrive against less affluent and unaffiliated planets. Local governments were unable or unwilling to protect its citizens against slavery, famine, epidemics, and countless other horrors.

Kylo Ren, along with a small entourage of Stormtroopers and political representatives, traveled to the New Republic capital, Hosnian Prime. Today, on the eve of an important diplomatic summit, the First Order planned to meet with a coalition of neutral yet high-resource planets historically ignored by the Galactic Republic. Included in the First Order's party is Coruscant Senator Vand Breiner, who serves as chief diplomatic advisor. Through his guidance the Order will achieve great political gains by the end of tomorrow.

The entourage moved purposefully through the hall of the senate building. "I trust you've reviewed the dossiers," Breiner remarked cautiously to Kylo Ren.

Kylo Ren, mask cold and void of emotion, continued straight ahead. Unknowable to the world he grimaced. He didn't embark on a lifelong, harrowing journey to master the dark side of the force so this worm could insult him with a menial task. But, yes, he skimmed them.

The helmet distorted his voice into something sinister, "I trust this will be brief, Senator." Despite Vand Breiner's cool exterior Kylo Ren could sense the anxiety pooling in the senator's gut.

When they arrived at the modest conference hall there was a diverse group of about a dozen senators already waiting for them. Earlier Vand Breiner provided information on all of them, but there were three more significant than the rest. One of the three, a tall Togruta male, greeted them upon arrival. Kylo Ren recognized him as Senator Gautam Basu of Kiros.

"Warm salutations, Senator Breiner and members of the First Order."

Breiner nodded to him. "Senator Basu, shall we begin?"

Gautam Basu gestured towards a grand, circular table. The other senators sitting there murmured quietly amongst themselves. Already they disapproved of the Stormtroopers and the ominous presence of Kylo Ren. His untraceable gaze shifted to the second of the three, Senator Nebula Starstrand of Hapes. Hapans, though private, were notorious for their abnormal beauty and disdain for men. After suspiciously eyeing the hooded knight, she leaned close to whisper to the young woman towards her left. This woman, the last of the three, was Senator Chell Niobe of Parnassus. The contrast between the two diplomats was striking. For all of Starstrand's fineries Niobe was as equally unassuming. Her understated, soft gray robes were out of place in a sea of garish regalia. Kylo Ren found it curious that this modesty betrayed a tangible energy about her. It was almost hard to ignore.

As all the politicians ambled to their places Kylo Ren simply stood off to the side behind Vand Breiner, continuing to unnerve the coalition. Senator Basu sat between Senators Starstrand and Niobe in the center. As a whole, Ren found the meeting to be an infuriatingly dull affair. At least Breiner heeded his warning and kept the exchange brief. Empty words filled the chamber for about a half an hour. Full disclosure: It wasn't the intention of the First Order to arrange an agreement of any kind. As commanded by the Supreme Leader, this whole pointless exercise was for Kylo Ren to sniff out any senators that may be a threat or an ally. If no allies were found then one must be persuaded. Apparently Snoke found Vand Breiner too incompetent to do his one job.

This façade of a meeting was coming to a close and Breiner extended his final offer. "As you can see, an alliance would be mutually beneficial. Have we an arrangement, senators?"

At a glance one would assume that the tranquil yet imposing Togruta was the de facto leader of this neutral party, but that would be misleading. Basu gave a sideways glance to Chell Niobe. She hardly spoke a word the entire ordeal, but remained present in skeptical contemplation. With a subtle shake of her head Basu turned back to Breiner and stood.

"We thank the First Order for their consideration of our industrious coalition. While it's regrettable we must decline your offer at this time, we urge Senator Breiner to reconsider negotiations after tomorrow's summit." Basu motioned for all the other senators to stand. This meeting was over.

With a tight smile Vand Breiner stood as well. "I look forward to your cooperation."

The Stormtroopers filed out of the room followed by Breiner and his fellow colleagues. Senators meandered out into the main hall. Breiner turned to speak with Kylo Ren, but something had already caught the knight's interest. He strode off to pursue it.

Turning a corner Kylo Ren saw Senators Basu, Starstrand, and Niobe. The three were speaking discreetly while half-concealed beneath the shadow of a large, marble column. They were having a hushed argument that the much shorter Niobe appeared to be winning. When she stopped talking a heavy silence fell between the three of them. Finally conceding, Gautam placed his hand on her shoulder before striding off with great purpose. Nebula, looking as though her heart ached, swept down to kiss the top of Chell's plaited auburn hair. She whispered something before pulling away to follow Gautam.

Chell took one melancholy moment to watch her friends go. Unlike the other two, she took off in the other direction right towards where Kylo Ren had been secretly observing the scene. Preoccupied with her thoughts, she wasn't paying much attention when she turned the corner. As a result she was startled when she nearly strode into a towering obstacle.

"Oh," Chell gasped. Bright brown eyes trailed all the way up the solid, dark figure. She stopped as she met the metal gaze boring down at her. The moment lingered. Suddenly aware of how close she was standing, the senator composed herself and looked away. "Excuse me." Not entirely certain he was going to let her, Chell continued past him with haste.

It was obvious to him that she was hiding something. But, to detain a senator in broad daylight in the Republic's capital is treasonous at best. Chancellor Lanever Villecham seemed conveniently blind to the fact that the First Order was a threat to the New Republic; such an action would be a glaring red flag. It would make it far more difficult to operate in the public eye. Instead he simply watched her go. As much as he'd prefer to do something reckless, he must first speak with Vand Breiner to solidify a plan.

Kylo Ren marched towards their base of operations and Vand Breiner appeared next to him with a matching pace.

"That you could tell, were any of the senators sympathetic to the First Order?" Breiner inquired.

"No."

"I see," Breiner grimaced. He turned to a Stormtrooper with a red shoulder guard that just caught up to them. "Bring the three. Kill the rest."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Oh, hello again. Quick note: The Resistance that occurred on Parnassus (which assassinated a corrupt royal family a decade ago) is completely unaffiliated the Rebel Alliance we all know and love. Don't get it twisted.

Also thank you, you blessed few, who have favorited/followed so far. I see you.

* * *

On Hosnian Prime the First Order base of operations was technically the grand Coruscant embassy office. Here Kylo Ren ruminated by the window while Vand Breiner preoccupied himself at his desk. The Senator began flipping through holograms in the dossiers. He stopped at an unusual one. It was short, silent, and played on a loop. The image focused on a girl no older than fifteen and armed to the teeth. She posed triumphantly with a blaster rifle low in one hand and a broken slave collar raised high in the other. Her boot pressed defiantly against the face of what the audience can only assume was a (now former) slaver. Powerful words alternated above her; "Freedom is worth killing for!" "Justice is worth dying for!"

Kylo Ren recognized this person.

"Chell Niobe," observed Breiner. "Operated under the pseudonym 'Justice' while working with the Parnassan Resistance. This hologram must be nearly a decade old by now." Vand paused and thoughtfully stroked his chin, "Say what you will about the politics, but even the New Empire didn't have a propaganda campaign this compelling. Justice caused quite a stir in the Mid Rim." During and well after their successful revolution, Parnassan propaganda spread through neutral space like wildfire. It caused a lot of trouble for corporate interests who failed to quell rebellions.

Ren lingered on the hologram a while longer. He wondered if the quiet senator from earlier and 'Justice' actually shared much in common.

Dusk was nigh and the Stormtroopers, disguised as drug cartel, will soon have completed their task of assassinating nine senators and capturing three. There hadn't been an update in almost twenty minutes. The silence was beginning to draw suspicion.

As if on cue their head Stormtrooper radioed in some bad news.

"Sir!" The communications hissed. "We were able to track down and eliminate seven of the nine targets but-" He hesitated. "Many were already packing by the time we got there. We think our objective has been compromised. Also… Senators Basu, Starstrand, and Niobe are nowhere to be found…"

Suddenly all Kylo Ren could see was red. Niobe had sensed they were in danger earlier, he felt it.

"…Our intelligence says they were last seen…"

Why didn't he trust his initial instincts and capture her right then? They could be anywhere in the galaxy by now. He failed the Supreme Leader's objective.

"…leaving the planet an hour ago…"

Kylo Ren violently reached for his lightsaber and everyone fled to the other side of the room. As he poised for destruction an epiphany prevented him from hitting the activator. He flashed back to Niobe's private exchange under the pillar. The way the three interacted... They weren't all planning to leave together. Starstrand and Basu were saying goodbye to their friend.

"The girl is still here," Ren realized, weapon still in hand. "Search the Parnassus Embassy office."

One fool within force-choke distance interjected, "But, Sir, we already-" His words were squelched by a gagging sound.

"Search. It. Again."

The communications hissed again. "Sir, FN-2003 is still in that vicinity. He'll return to the Parnassus Embassy right away."

It wouldn't be enough. Without wasting another second he set off towards the embassy.

The sun was beginning to set as he strode past several monstrous senate buildings to his destination. All of them displayed the flags of the planets they were hosting. Finally he reached the one with the stripes of Parnassus out front. At least Ren didn't have to guess which window belonged to the embassy in question. A second story window was evidently shattered. On the ferrocrete directly below was a severely injured FN-2003; eyes open and sprawled motionless on his back. Alive, but worse for wear. As the knight approached he also noticed a shiv sticking straight through the trooper's foot. Curious.

Kylo Ren soon found himself cautiously approaching Senator Niobe's office. The girl was in there; he could already sense her energy. He helped himself through the door that was already ajar. The place was ransacked. General Hux's prized Stormtroopers tore the place apart yet they were still too incompetent to find one person. He paused a moment to take in his surroundings.

It was too quiet, until he heard a soft shuffle from the next room.

There she is.

Storming into the next room he almost didn't hear a little metal ball hit the floor and roll innocuously towards him. The first thing he saw was Chell Niobe armed to the teeth standing on the ledge of the shattered window; a small red button in hand. With instant clarity Ren had already retreated, force shut the door, and braced for impact.

Boom.

Staggered by the deafening blast Ren didn't wait to recompose himself before hastily pushing down the charred door. He couldn't believe what just happened. What kind of senator just "has" a thermal detonator? Naturally she had already fled the scene, but she wasn't far. There weren't many places she could go from that ledge without breaking her ankles. Niobe would try to reenter the building from an open window.

Kylo Ren went back out into the hall and blasted through it with a vengeance, force opening doors to locate the nearest entry point. The moment he first saw her on that ledge; she was smiling. She was toying with him. The mere thought slighted him. But, not for much longer. He sensed her again towards the end of the hall and this time she didn't have any more spectacular tricks to save her.

He entered the room where he felt her presence and was met with the same stifled silence as before. The moment came and he ignited his lightsaber. That same moment Niobe revealed her position to flank him with a blaster rifle on the left. The crossguard blade deflected every one of her predictable shots. It was almost cute how she thought that would work. She staggered back from her cover as he got closer. The blaster barrel fizzled and jammed. Her back was now against the wall, fear rising. In a last ditch effort to save herself she produced a knife and flung it at him. Niobe gasped when the knife mysteriously boomeranged back and impaled the wall inches from her head.

Enough was enough, Ren thought. Before she could even raise her fists he was already upon her. The last thing she saw was a black hand reaching towards her face; then everything went dark.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Over the last couple days I have made some minor tweaks and edits to the first two chapters. Nothing game changing though. I'll probably come back and make some edits to this one too. Who knows!

Here's more garbage. I hope you're happy.

* * *

Gingerly Kylo Ren intercepted the unconscious senator while setting aside her now useless force jammed blaster. Effortlessly he carried his objective back to the Coruscant embassy office. In theory he could have had the Stormtroopers move her, but he's tolerated enough of their failure for one day.

As he moved he speculated on the senator's actions. After they parted in the hall of the senate building earlier Niobe evidently kept herself quite busy. Based on what he knows she must have discreetly contacted the whole coalition, changed into something easy to flee in, strapped an arsenal to herself, and eluded capture for a decent amount of time. It's likely her evasion would have succeeded if a run of the mill Stormtrooper showed up instead to retrieve her. Case in point; FN-2003.

It wasn't long before the knight returned to the Coruscant embassy. For the first time in history Senator Vand Breiner was relieved to see Kylo Ren. Upon arrival he relinquished the girl to the troopers so she could be prepared for interrogation.

"I will speak with her first," Breiner haughtily volunteered. "She is a diplomat after all. We'll see if she can't be reasoned with."

Behind his helmet Kylo Ren skeptically lifted his brow. Breiner didn't see her back at the Parnassus embassy, so he had no idea what to expect. Justice was wild. Already Ren knew the conversation would not go in Vand's favor and the thought amused him. Confidently Breiner strode into their makeshift interrogation room.

Not five minutes passed and Senator Breiner stormed out of their makeshift interrogation room. Using a handkerchief he began wiping a nasty, red fluid off his face while muttering, "Of all the vulgar…"

"Senator?" Kylo Ren interrupted.

"Go do whatever it is you do with her," Breiner snapped while still recomposing himself. After he realized what he said, he digressed. "But do keep her intact. We may still need her. If Senators Starstrand and Basu are still on planet then we need to find them _tonight_. One way or another we need their vote. Without it our objective is lost and Supreme Leader would be… most disappointed."

The knight gave a nod. He understood what was at stake.

Kylo Ren entered the makeshift interrogation room. There Senator Niobe was detained to a chair in the center. Her hands were bound behind her and looped around the back. Naturally the troopers stripped her of her bandolier and any other weapons on her person. The moment Ren appeared she stopped subtly squirming about and looked straight at him. With a surprising lack of fear she tilted her head, locked eyes, and gave him a sardonic grin; made uneasy by the thin layer of blood that painted her teeth. Even in captivity she had her methods of intimidating. No wonder spineless Breiner had no idea how to handle her.

"Leave us," Ren commanded the two Stormtroopers keeping guard. It's clear they didn't even notice her trying to wriggle out of her hand restraints for who knows how long. They quickly filed out.

Kylo Ren lingered as he looked her over. Based on a few fresh wounds she had, the two troopers must have roughed her up during Breiner's 'diplomatic' conversation.

"Justice," he started.

"Please… call me 'Senator'," Niobe coyly insisted; as if that was somehow more familiar.

There was something off about her, slow even. Ren sensed her heartrate was unusually low for an interrogation prisoner. He noticed the rhythm of her chest as she breathed; it was too shallow to be normal. These were not the usual symptoms of an interrogation. He approached the girl and tilted her chin towards the light. Her pupils were dilated. "You blew up your office," he observed idly.

"I wasn't using it."

Ren paused to glance behind the chair at her bound hands. Niobe's wrists were already starting to cut and show signs of bruising from her escape attempts. Oddly enough, he didn't sense any pain from it. He didn't sense any pain at all.

With the mounting evidence, he understood. The senator must have consumed some sort of suppressant which altered her physiological state. It was probably a smart choice given her circumstance. "What did you take?"

For a moment Chell hesitated to answer. "Gylocal... When I saw you were coming." Gylocal was a battle stimulant and a powerful pain suppressor. Its toxic chemicals made it a potent pill, but the hangovers were not to be trifled with.

"It'll wear off soon."

"Yes," she mused. "In truth I thought you would have killed me by now."

"Disappointed?"

"I'm not sure yet."

Unfortunately there wasn't much time to waste chatting with the prisoner. He removed his hand from her chin. "Where are Senators Starstrand and Basu?"

Niobe's eyes narrowed, "Depends. Where are the other nine senators?"

Kylo Ren wasn't someone overflowing with patience. While he didn't necessarily want to hurt her, he would if he had to. "It would be wise for you to cooperate."

The senator replied with a Huttese curse so vulgar Jabba himself was turning in his grave. Although in a vulnerable position Chell was confident she'd never give in. This was where she was gravely mistaken.

Without warning Kylo Ren's hand shot towards Niobe's face. In that moment she started to turn away, but he paralyzed her mid-motion. Honestly she didn't know what was happening to her. A slow and unseeable force compelled her neck and head to move and face him again. Ren's fingers hovered inches from her check. He wasn't even touching her, but the short distance felt heavily charged. Chell trembled in her invisible hold as her head was pulled slightly closer. How could this sorcery even be real? Frightened eyes darted towards his enigmatic metal face. For the moment she was disarmed by uncertainty and fear.

"You'll show me everything this way," Ren stated gently as he leaned closer to her. Normally this gave him no pleasure. But, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little curious to catch a glimpse inside her head.


	4. Chapter 4

The uncertainty of what Kylo Ren was doing made Chell deeply uneasy. Despite this hold she tried to struggle, to will any of her appendages to move of her own volition. The only experience Niobe could compare this feeling to was the one time she woke up from sleep before her body was ready. She felt as paralyzed then as she does now. She just has to _move_!

"There's no point in doing that," he commented, unfazed. "There's nothing you can do to keep me out." He leaned in closer as if her mind was whispering to him.

With that all of the senator's memories started flooding towards the knight in a cacophony of thought. Focusing on finding something clear he began to rifle through pieces of her past. "You've seen war… so much war." Visions of violence and other atrocities flashed across his minds' eye. "The Parnassus Resistance found you when you were young. 'No one is coming to save us,' they always said." That statement was true; the Republic, despite its anti-slavery laws, decided to only enforce them when it was convenient. Another memory flashed. The procedure to deactivate and remove the explosive 'property implant' intensely painful. He saw a mixed team of adult humans and non-humans always around her. They maintained a strong presence throughout her adolescence.

"The way you spoke… The Resistance leaders saw your potential. 'Justice' was a collaborative creation between all of them." The probe cut suddenly to a more dramatic memory: Justice, older, stood on the great base of a toppled statue. The night was illuminated by the Parnassus Palace ablaze behind her. Before her were thousands of citizens, wild with energy, screaming 'Justice!' as they waved their broken slave collars. Gripping him by the hair, she presented the severed head of their king. She held it high. The crowd roared with savage approval. People worshipped her like a god when she moved through the wreckage. She felt a rush of power.

Flipping through her memories there was one thing that remained constant; her strength of will. Kylo Ren couldn't help but feel envious of the unwavering fidelity she had for her convictions. He would kill for that kind of certainty.

"But, Justice wasn't real. She couldn't fix everything, could she?" In the next memory he saw countless rows of bodies. Chell was on her knees, weeping over the carefully wrapped corpse of a child. "The plague took so many of you," Ren commented, still peering eagerly into her thoughts. "The young, the old, the weak... Not many who were exposed to the virus in the Parnassus Mines survived." In the same memory Chell felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. It was Senator Starstrand, but younger and perhaps not yet a senator. The girls must have been around seventeen or eighteen. Then the memories of the two began jumping around. Ren caught glimpses of them busting slavery rings, organizing events, moongazing on Hapes, etc. It was apparent they were very close. He even saw the two of them sitting around a fire laughing with Senator Gautam Basu. Which reminded him…

" _Where are the senators_?" he pressed, feeling close to his goal.

Finally, Kylo Ren located her memory from earlier that day. The three senators were back in the shadow of the column. "You urged them to leave the planet," he observed, now hearing every piece of missing dialogue. "Based on the empty meeting, you correctly surmised what the First Order was planning and begged your friends to leave. They protested of course, but you reasoned that you had the best chance of surviving the night and sneaking safely into the summit. A foolish strategy. Apparently it wouldn't have been the first time you've done it." He caught an image of her in the senate podium, smudged with dirt and twigs in her hair. Ren's eyes flashed with a sudden realization, "And then you convinced them to defer their votes to you."

This news greatly relieved Kylo Ren. The senators were definitely off planet. More specifically, they fled to the Hapan flagship 'Star Home' still located in the same sector. But, Niobe had their votes all along. Their objective set forth by Supreme Leader Snoke was not lost. In fact, it was simpler now that the power of three senators was condensed into one. Content with his findings, Ren withdrew his hand and rose.

Niobe was left visibly shaken and confused by what just transpired.

The knight had every intention of leaving, but he took a moment to look back at his prisoner. Come to think on it, there was one thing he didn't uncover from his investigation. "Earlier today, you somehow knew the intentions of the First Order. You were ready for us." Chell snapped out of her trance to look up at him. "Why?" he inquired.

Her lips parted as if she were to say something, but took a deep breath first. Locking eyes she finally replied, "I'm always ready for war."

Kylo Ren paused, though made no indication of how he felt before exiting the room. He wasn't sure what motivated him to ask her that, but he was satisfied with her answer nonetheless. Senator Vand Breiner was waiting eagerly outside. Ren briefed him on the relevant findings, but not so much the intimate details of Niobi's life.

"The votes were deferred to Niobe?" Breiner was equally relieved. "This is good. Starstrand's and Basu's votes were the only ones that wouldn't automatically defer upon death. It would have needed a higher clearance or a manual change. We have everything we need now, in theory. Now we just need the girl's cooperation. Do you think we can manage?"

"Yes."

* * *

Senator Niobe was relocated to the central office, seated across from Senator Vand Breiner at his desk. Kylo Ren stood close behind her on her right. Breiner nodded to a Stormtrooper who proceeded to remove Niobe's hand restraints. Chell gave an irritated 'Tch' as the area around her wrists was touched. Not because she didn't want shackles gone, but the battle stimulant was wearing off and her wrists and hands were sensitive from trying to mercilessly contort them free. Gently rubbing her sore skin she glanced up at Kylo Ren before looking back to Senator Breiner.

Niobe was now staring down Breiner from the opposite side of the desk. Her presence here was not a mystery to her. She knew what he wanted and she'd prefer he spit it out already. The Coruscant Senator cleared his throat and shifted somewhat. Already he was taking too long. She took it upon herself to break the ice. "Let's skip to the part where I refuse to vote in your favor and you finally stop wasting my time and kill me."

Senator Breiner was insincerely taken aback. "Madam, I assure you I-"

"Dispense with the pleasantries, Breiner. What have you done with the other nine senators?"

"Well… last I heard seven of nine had been terminated," Breiner looked over at a Stormtrooper who signaled to him. "Excuse me. As of now all nine have been terminated."

Niobe took a deep, controlled breath in. Her gut was panged with a sense of failure. Though in fairness they could have been spared had they left right when she told them to. "You have some nerve then. You kill my colleagues and then expect _my_ cooperation? Let me live and I tell the galaxy of your despicable actions. Kill me and you spark civil war with a new enemy." Chell grimaced, "I don't understand your angle. You have nothing left to bargain with."

"We have more goals in common than you know, Senator. We too want stability and security for every galactic resident. We too have suffered from the gross incompetence of the New Republic." Vand Breiner reached into a drawer and produced a datapad. He placed it in front of Chell to look through at her leisure. "Do you know what this is?"

Senator Niobe didn't move to pick it up, but she could tell at a glance that it was a legitimate government document.

"That…" he pointed. "Is a piece of legislation written nine years ago. It's lengthy, but in there is an almost hidden motion to administer a vaccine for the Bandonian Plague to the planets of your sector and the ones surrounding it. An afterthought, really."

Now very interested, Niobe picked up the datapad and began sifting intently through it.

He continued, "Oh yes, the disease that plagued your planet is not new and has been diagnosed for some time now. Although it's been hundreds of years since the last outbreak, the knowledge and ability to eradicate it still exists. Do you know why the motion didn't pass?"

Niobe's eyes were fixed to the datapad.

"The legislation included a clause that the New Republic found to be… inconvenient. Thus the whole document was scrapped. When it was rewritten there was no more mention of administering the vaccine to your territories. Ironically enough there are probably still thousands of crates collecting dust in a warehouse on Abafar. All someone had to do was go pick them up."

Hearing all of this was too much for Chell. Not wanting anymore to do with it she placed the datapad back on the desk. She took a moment to let her face drop into her hand, cradling the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index fingers. Her eyes misted, but she did her best not to openly cry in front of these jackals.

Kylo Ren recalled the image of Niobe breaking down while surrounded by dead countrymen. Part of her was reliving this moment. Her grief permeated the room, but it was gradually replaced by simmering fury. She took a sharp breath in and looked up at Breiner with darkness in her eyes. Despite her adult life being devoted to radical altruism and compassion, she wanted to hurt the people that brought her immeasurable pain.

She wanted vengeance.

"What comes next?"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Hey new followers. Thank you guys for showing in interest in my garbage! I hope you all keep enjoying it.

Also sit tight because this is turning into more of a slow burn than I originally anticipated.

* * *

Senator Niobe listened to Breiner with a quiet intensity, analyzing every word coming out of his mouth. Tomorrow's galactic summit called for further clarity on the redistribution of resources following the fall of the Galactic Empire thirty years ago. Since then many unaffiliated planets like Parnassus have become potential strategic assets, but these areas of space were not diligently districted. In layman's terms, the Alliance and the First Order (among other special interests) are fighting for control and influence over these beneficial sectors. To avoid war, Chancellor Lanever Villecham called for the summit to negotiate reasonable terms. Essentially Breiner wants Niobe to vote in favor of the First Order, thus preventing her sector from becoming an Alliance controlled territory.

When she had enough information Niobe rose from her seat. Despite being thoroughly disheveled from the day's events, she still managed to carry herself with an authoritative poise. "I need data on the revisions to this legislation and population census information for all planets in my sector during the last century." Her tone was even and implied more of an order than a suggestion.

"Why-?" Breiner started and was swiftly interrupted.

"You'll have your vote, senator. In this instance we benefit from the same outcome, so believe me when I say it's in your best interest to provide these documents."

Breiner was briefly taken aback by her audacity. But, he followed up with a tight smile; apparently amused by her spirit. "As you wish," he conceded. "While you wait, please allow our medic to examine you." Vand gestured to the far side of the room where their medic was bandaging the previously impaled foot of FN-2003. The injured Stormtrooper seemed anxious being in the presence of the same person who stabbed his foot and shoved him out a window.

As one flunky went to fetch the requested information their medic tended to Niobe's minor wounds. When the errand still wasn't complete, Breiner suggested she take advantage of their refresher. Reluctantly she agreed. "I go in there alone," she firmly insisted before glancing suspiciously at the knight looming behind her.

"But, of course," Breiner nodded. "You're our guest, not our prisoner."

Obviously this wasn't an entirely true statement. Chell wasn't naïve enough to consider this man a trustworthy person, but something told her a trip to the refresher would be probably be a disturbance-free event. Kylo Ren had been considerate enough to also bring a small bag Niobe had on her person when he abducted her. The First Order had confiscated any weapons and communication devices, so all that was left were her gray senator robes, a datapad, and scarce few personal items. This bag was handed back to her by a Stormtrooper.

As she was being escorted off, Vand Breiner took off his hat and rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. His black ensemble was not unlike that of General Hux. Most high ranking officials of the First Order adhere to a certain level of uniformity. Although he wasn't much older than Hux, Breiner's brown hair began to silver around the sides (presumably from stress). "Precocious, isn't she?" he commented to Kylo Ren. "Fortunately it wouldn't be possible for her to escape from there. Unless she shrinks herself and slips through the drain." Vand chuckled at his own comment; he clearly held his sense of humor in high regard.

The knight frowned in concentration as he watched Niobe walk down the hall to her destination. While he couldn't think of a feasible way for her to escape he knew it would be wrong to underestimate her resourcefulness a second time. Ever since she rose from her chair he could sense her scheming and it made him uneasy. While he was quietly impressed with the senator, Kylo Ren would stop at nothing to fulfill the orders of the Supreme Leader. So, he poised himself to wait near the entrance of the refresher. Taking a deep breath in, he exhaled and attempted to clear his thoughts. At this short distance he could sense her every move and intention with great accuracy.

The shower was running and his connection became gradually stronger. Although the day had been emotionally and physically strenuous, he felt Niobe's relief under the rush of hot water. He could almost smell the soap she was using. Fingers combed through thick auburn hair; hands glided over soft, soapy skin…

Kylo Ren snapped back to the present and became intimately aware of his own heartbeat. This exercise turned out to be more distracting than he originally intended. Composing himself, he waited until the water stopped running before tuning back in. Niobe must have been nearly dressed by now and could sense her mind racing. Drawers were quietly opening and closing. She was scheming again and he planned to end it before it even started.

Without warning the door to the refresher _whooshed_ open and closed. Chell had only started buttoning the top half of her robe when she was rushed by the tall man in black. Once again her back was pushed against the wall as he hovered over her. "Excuse me," she exasperated, angry for being accosted so suddenly in a less than dignified manner. Frantically she gauged the situation for an upper hand, but she would find none.

Kylo Ren quickly scanned over her, not allowing himself to be tantalized over her exposed torso or soft linen bra. She moved to cover herself, but Ren had instantly intercepted her forearm and pulled a small, yet sharp pair of chrome scissors from her sleeve. Chell looked away, annoyed she had been caught with her little secret. While a measly pair of scissors seemed harmless enough, Ren imagined them finding their way into Breiner's neck somehow. There were a few individuals, he imagined, who would have been disappointed by this; Supreme Leader Snoke being one of them.

They weren't done yet however. "Get the others," he commanded. When Niobe didn't move right away he warned, "Or I'll get them myself."

The senator shot him a venomous look before reaching up into the skirt of her robes. Complying, she handed him another pair of scissors that had been secretly banded against her thigh. "Satisfied?"

"Yes," he replied. She went to button her top a third time and Ren almost forcefully tilted her chin up to face him. "No more nonsense. Next time won't go well for you."

Niobe, though defiant, seemed to falter and take his threat to heart. Knowing that the message resonated, Kylo Ren released her and strode out of the refresher; leaving her alone in there once again.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** While the Alliance helped reinstate the New Republic, they're a separate entity from the actual senate.

Hold onto your hats for a whirlwind of nonsensical space politics!

* * *

When Niobe emerged from the refresher she was fully dressed and her damp hair was plaited the same as before. It was quite a contrast between this and her rough state from earlier. The woman herself was a strange dichotomy. On one hand you had a shrewd yet unassuming senator. On the other you had a blood-spitting, bomb-slinging scrapper. She seemed to phase between one and the other depending on the situation.

Most of the First Order entourage had convened in the main office. Niobe, the shrewd senator, approached Vand Breiner's desk. Before she spoke she shot Kylo Ren a disdainful glance. It was clear she was still salty from what had happened in the refresher. Or it could have it been from force probing her mind? Or abducting her? Ren could feel her justified resentment, but he was unfazed. It was more trouble than it should have been to bring her here and he's been more than merciful. She should be grateful she still has all her limbs and appendages.

Senator Breiner looked up from his datapad and gave Niobe his undivided attention.

"The documents," she stated.

No sooner said than done the flunky, who happened to be Breiner's young assistant and nephew, approached her to relinquish the information she requested. The remaining hours leading up to the galactic summit were spent mostly in silence. Breiner allowed her to take over a long couch and low table for her studying, but she remained under the close surveillance. Despite an imminent migraine from the completely worn off gylocal, Niobe poured through the documents with unwavering focus.

In the moment of quiet Kylo Ren watched the girl and reflected on how the mission was going so far. Niobe was uncomfortably aware of the attention, but couldn't afford to waste any time in a staring contest. News of the nine senators' assassinations were already beginning to spread. As far as the public was concerned, they were murdered by an organized crime syndicate. It also helps that the crown jewel of the Alliance, Republic City, had an uncharacteristically corrupt peacekeeping force. The First Order had been taking advantage of their nefarious ways for several years. According to the record, Senator Niobe is only alive because a dark knight of the First Order rescued fair damsel in distress. Even though the stage was set for their success Kylo Ren couldn't help but wonder what else the senator may have up her sleeve. Vand Breiner gave her clear instructions and consequences for noncompliance, but they still couldn't manually control her actions out on the senate floor. This woman had little regard for her own health and safety. Without proper leverage she could be unpredictable.

Before long morning light began to creep into the office. It was time to go.

* * *

The main Galactic Senate Building on Hosnian Prime was a cosmopolitan masterpiece. While not as impressively sized as the Senate Rotunda on Coruscant it made up for this with architectural efficiency and artful detail. The overall atmosphere was refined yet warmer than the cold Rotunda. Its design was a thoughtful mesh of all the distinguished cultures of the Core Planets. At the entrance of these great halls stood a magnificent yet eerily impactful memorial to Alderaan, looming over all who entered. The First Order entourage passed it without a second glance.

Hundreds upon hundreds of senators from all over the galaxy began pouring into the hall. Kylo Ren, Vand Breiner, his assistant, and a few Stormtroopers escorted Chell Niobe through the crowd. There were a few senators who wished to stop and speak with her, but she had to politely decline. One female Ithorian however was able to get a word in edge wise.

"Senator Niobe, I'm pleased to see you're well." The persistent Ithorian kept pace with the First Order, who did not stop to chat.

"Likewise, Senator Moolis," Chell replied trying to talk to her through the Stormtroopers. "I can't shake the feeling it'll rain later."

"Yes, but it will be a good night for stargazing."

They weren't talking about the weather; they were speaking in code. Breiner laughed uneasily and pushed his hand against the small of Niobe's back urging her to walk faster. "Senator Moolis," he cordially acknowledged as they departed.

"Senator Breiner," Moolis nodded as she vanished into the crowd.

The Senate Chamber was an impressive spherical room and, in theory, not unlike the Coruscant Rotunda. However, Hosnian Prime's Senate Chamber was styled like an overblown opera house. In fact, the facility also doubled as a high end performance hall. Each of the senators' booths came equipped with an interactive screen. It informed the occupant of any delegate's identity, provided necessary translations, facilitated voting, and more.

After a short while of walking through the endless circular halls they reached Niobe's designated booth. Once she was inside and out of earshot Breiner turned to Ren. "Stay here and make sure she doesn't leave prematurely. Collect her when it's done; Supreme Leader wants her with us when we return to the Finalizer." He observed her preparing through the glass. "Shame she'll probably have to die. I was growing rather fond of her."

"She spit blood on your face, sir," Breiner's assistant curiously pointed out.

Breiner sighed, "So it goes."

* * *

The summit was in full swing. Kylo Ren kept a close eye on Senator Niobe and discretely observed the congregation from the hall. Currently all eyes were on Chancellor Villecham who was opening the floor to discuss districting in the Mid Rim. "…For our opening statement the honorable delegate from Parnassus, Senator Chell Niobe, has the floor."

This was the moment they had been waiting for. Vand Breiner looked intently at the booth that began to separate slightly from the wall. Most of the hundreds of senators present had preconceptions that this neutral section of the Mid Rim would vote in favor of becoming an Alliance territory. This part of the summit was never supposed to be eventful. Then the senator from Parnassus began to speak.

"Thank you, Chancellor Villecham, for the opportunity to speak on behalf of my sector." Senator Niobe was on her feet. If she was physically exhausted or hungover from questionable battle stimulants she hid it well. Her presence filled the room as she gripped the undivided attention of her audience.

"Nine years ago today a piece of legislation was presented to this very congregation. Its primary purpose was to regulate the commerce of military grade weapons to private parties in the Mid Rim. Hidden and irrelevant was a mandate to distribute a vaccine for the Bandonian Plague to Parnassus and our neighboring planets. During revisions of this legislation, any mention of this vaccine was eliminated from the final cut and never brought up again; ever. Since then millions of Parnassans, my friends, my family, have perished. It still hasn't been completely eradicated…"

The chamber became disquieted with confused whispers.

"Many of you are wondering why I'm even discussing this. Those of you smart enough to know better are asking how such an atrociously negligent thing could be allowed to happen in the first place. I'm not standing before you merely to say that the Alliance and the Republic has failed Parnassus on all accounts; that since the inception of the Republic a thousand years ago it has conveniently ignored slavery on our planet." Niobe's voice was rising and her tone intensifying. "That since the recent Parnassus Revolution to abolish said slavery the New Republic ignored our desperate cries for aid. Or when we suffered from plague all they had to do was leave a _paragraph_ in a government document to help us… they still wouldn't lift a finger. The Alliance-based New Republic has not only failed Parnassus, but has also failed every planet that-"

Alarmed, Villecham tried to interject, "Senator Niobe-"

Senator Niobe's eyes flared as she pointed defiantly at their leader. She was livid, "I'm not finished yet, Chancellor. The floor is legally mine and I _will_ be heard. Every planet this congregation has failed _will_ be heard." Chell briefly surveyed the chamber. Senators were falling over themselves getting riled up and trying to get a better look at this girl with her outrageous statements.

"Neutral Planets, how many times have we been fed flowery lies of freedom and progress? How many of your citizens have you senselessly lost to preventable epidemics? To slavery? To famine? The answer is in the trillions. This congregation still weeps for precious Alderaan, but in the last several decades this galaxy has lost over thirty Alderaans to slavery and preventable disease alone. Where's our thoughtful ceremony? Where are our gilded statues of remembrance? The bottom line is that if you're not a Core Planet, you don't matter to them. Our whole existence is a careless afterthought in this chamber.

"If you want to continue this cycle of criminal negligence, by all means, vote to become part of Alliance Space. Let them legally confiscate your planet's resources, tax free, while they offer absolutely nothing in return. Do you want that? Or do you want _justice_?"

The chamber erupted into a cacophony of enraged senators yelling at one another. Emotions were running high as normally civilized diplomats were behaving like madmen; faces were red, some were yelling ' _Justice_!' while others violently hurled datapads into other booths. It was a madhouse.

Heart pounding with adrenaline Niobe looked at the screen down in front of her. Numbers and polls were flashing and frantically changing. It wasn't just her sector, but an overwhelming number of senators from neutral planets chose to forsake the Alliance to instead stand with their only other option; the First Order. At the moment no one seemed to be paying much attention to her. Chell decided that her best and only chance to escape would be in the midst of all this mass confusion. Grabbing her bag she quickly moved to make her exit. Opening the door she was startled by familiar hooded figure in black.

"Leaving so soon?" Kylo Ren was standing only feet away.

Chell retreated back to the booth; closing the door as quickly as she opened it. Breathlessly she stared out at the chaos she created.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** I'm pleased as punch with the follows and the few who left nice reviews. A lot of you are very quiet – which is fine. It's perfectly alright to silently luxuriate in my garbage. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Chell Niobe could hide all she wanted, but she was merely prolonging the inevitable. There was only one way out of that booth and that was through Kylo Ren. He still felt her presence pressed up against the door; until, oddly, he couldn't. Surprised he tried to open the door. _Locked_. Without hesitation he peered around the side through the glass only to find Niobe climbing over the side of the booth and scaling the wall downward with the help of overly ornate trimming. The chamber was still too preoccupied with their violent arguing to properly notice the free-climbing senator. Stunned as he was infuriated, Ren unleashed an unbridled punch to a nearby vase, assuaged only slightly by its expensive sounding shatter. Breaking into the chamber and grabbing her would be an act of treason witnessed by the entire Galactic Senate; so that was out of the question. Assuming she didn't fall to her death, her next move would be to reach the booth below and exit from there. He had to get to the lower level, but because of the roundabout halls she would have a considerable head start.

Not wasting any more time Kylo Ren pursued his target.

Soon he stormed his way down to the lower floor. Niobe was gone, but she couldn't be far. Ren closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. Her distinctive presence was fading as she fled, but he could still sense it. The senator was still intensely emotional from her speech; she might as well be wearing flashing lights and bells for him. This will make it easier to find her. Now knowing her general direction, he followed the scent like a bloodhound.

It was fortuitous Kylo Ren should track her to the very place he was going to bring her; the hangar. Now that he was inside, Niobe's energy was growing stronger and he could sense he was nearly upon her. It wasn't long before he turned a corner and saw her at the end of the hall typing away at a control panel. Chell had sensed him too. She turned around to see the knight tenaciously in pursuit, black hood billowing around him. Hurried, she keyed in the sequence to close the room's blast door. To her horror an invisible force stopped the door mid close and was actually forced back in the other direction; its metal distorted and she could hear the sounds of its inner gears crushing in on itself. All it took was a single powerful gesture from the masked pursuer. Bewildered, off guard, and out of tricks, Niobe could only grab a crowbar and brace herself as he breached the room. With another powerful gesture she felt an unseeable force grip her body. Pain seared through her temples. She attempted to writhe out of the invisible hold knowing by now it was foolish to resist, but she was determined to live.

The knight cornered her with his black-gloved hand still outstretched. He felt the thrill of catching her once again, confident that this time she was definitely out of options for narrow escapes. Even now she was still trying to fight her imminent capture. The closer he got the harder she struggled. Ren could sense her violence and her fury almost as tangibly as he could his own. Given the opportunity she wouldn't hesitate to kill him where he stood; part of her believed that she actually could. The absurdity amused him.

Then, without warning or inkling, he was struck by a peculiar thought. In that moment he found himself intrigued by the girl who feverishly wanted to kill him. Chell's rage started to lose momentum when she realized he wasn't taking additional action. He was just standing there, palm nearly touching her face, gazing silently at her. With uncertainty she stared back and up into the metallic visage.

The moment abruptly ended with the sound of an approaching engine. Through the observation glass Ren saw a Hapan-class shuttle pull into the port. _Starstrand_ , he thought. Recalling the obviously coded conversation, this is probably what that Ithorian, Moolis, meant by 'stargazing.' It was time to leave and fortunately they didn't have far to go. If Nebula Starstrand and her small band of soldiers left the shuttle quickly enough, they would have seen the tall silhouette of Kylo Ren carrying away their precious senator.

The First Order's command shuttle was located close by. Everything was packed ahead of time for a swift departure. Two pilots had been awaiting the political entourage. It was earlier than expected, but they lowered the ramp of their dark, bird of prey-looking spacecraft for Kylo Ren and the woman he carried. Had the knight decided to wait longer he could have intercepted Nebula Starstrand. But, at this point it was too politically risky to take her. The First Order had what it needed. If necessary they could always use Niobe as leverage to bait Starstrand and Basu into a trap.

Not far behind was an out of breath Vand Breiner, his assistant, and their Stormtroopers. It was convenient they should all rendezvous simultaneously.

"The summit terminated early," Breiner said between breaths. "I'll explain on the way back."

Most everyone filed into the main passenger compartment of the shuttle. Adjacent to it was another modest compartment with a few individual crew bunks carved into the wall. Ren laid Niobe down onto one of these spartan beds. As a precaution he secured her already bruised wrists in binders, but they ultimately weren't necessary. Although she was restless, she would remain asleep for as long as Ren willed it. There wasn't any point in waking her before they reached the _Finalizer_ ; she would just continue to be ornery and difficult. Idly Ren wondered what the Supreme Leader would see fit to do with her. Vand Breiner was right; it was distinctly possible Snoke would want Niobe dead. While she had no love for the Resistance, there was no guarantee she'd be loyal to the First Order. Stirring, the still sleeping senator rolled over onto her side, facing away from him. Kylo Ren grimaced. He would never challenge the will of the Supreme Leader, but he sensed there was still use for her.

Lost in thought, he didn't realize how long he'd been staring at his captive until Breiner's assistant came to nervously summon him into the other compartment.

* * *

The _Finalizer_ was a Resurgent-class Star Destroyer. Alongside the currently unfinished Starkiller Base, it was the colossal pride and joy of the First Order. Niobe had awoken quite suddenly when a couple of Stormtroopers came to collect her. Disoriented yet feisty she tried to wriggle her way out of their grasp all the way down the shuttle's ramp; locking eyes with Kylo Ren to deliver a murderous glare as she passed. When the senator finally noticed where she was she stopped struggling so she could blearily gape at the impressive, seemingly endless main hangar. Given that she's probably only ever heard about Star Destroyers, and that it was technically illegal to have one, her shock was justified.

As Senator Niobe was carted off to the detention center, Kylo Ren and Vand Breiner strode towards their mutual destination in contemplative silence. Any meeting with the Supreme Leader was a tense and serious affair. Even though they technically completed their objective, it did not go as nearly as smoothly as it should have. Both men knew the Supreme Leader would not let any embarrassing mishaps go unnoticed. Finally, they approached the door to his audience chamber.


	8. Chapter 8

Kylo Ren and Vand Breiner crossed the threshold into the cavernous audience chamber of their Supreme Leader. Some of the only light sources were a few orbs that lined the walkway to a large circular platform in the center. Before them a hologram of Supreme Leader Snoke materialized. The giant delicately rested a hand against his jaw and languidly eyed his approaching inferiors. It was unnerving to most how reserved Snoke could be. However in this particular instance, Kylo Ren could sense his displeasure.

"Supreme Leader," the senator dipped respectfully. "We have accomplished our objective on Hosnian Prime."

Breiner's words were followed by a tense silence. Snoke stared at them, his thin lips eternally pursed. Finally he spoke, yet his tranquil tone betrayed something sinister. "Tell me, Chief Diplomat… How many senators were you instructed to bring here?"

Vand Breiner became nervous, "Supreme Leader I-"

The Supreme Leader's patience was already beginning to thin. He pointed at his diplomat, " _Answer_ the question."

Defeated, Breiner admitted, "Three, Supreme Leader. You instructed us to bring three."

"And how many did you acquire?"

"One, my lord."

"I see…" Snoke acknowledged almost lazily. "I ask for three senators and you only bring me one. By these standards, wouldn't it be more accurate to say you _failed_ the objective?"

"Y-yes, my lord."

The Supreme Leader's displeasure was finally beginning to show. "The handling of the mission on Hosnian Prime was an embarrassment of catastrophic proportion. I had hoped that by sending my most powerful asset we could have avoided such… mishaps." His disappointed gaze shifted to his apprentice. "Even you, Master of the Knights of Ren, had difficulty keeping one measly girl in your custody. Most embarrassing."

Kylo Ren felt shame yet said nothing. He knew insisting that Senator Niobe was cleverer than they anticipated would do nothing to serve him.

"But, we got the votes, Supreme Leader," Breiner interjected. "We obtained more support than we ever thought possible."

"No," Snoke corrected. "That feat belongs to Senator Niobe. I fail to recall anything useful you did during the summit." Breiner shrank, Snoke continued. "We owe our thanks to the young senator. She did more to harm the reputation of the New Republic in one day than you have in the last several years... However if the two of you could barely control her during the summit I fear her usefulness may be at an end."

More silence permeated the chamber. Something piqued Snoke's interest. "Oh? I sense objections."

Vand Breiner straightened up. "Supreme Leader, there is a way. We'll need to spare a few resources, but her support would be invaluable. With her help, with 'Justice' at our side, we could launch a propaganda campaign the likes of which few have ever seen. We can win battles without ever stepping foot on a planet. We can direct power away from the New Republic. She can help me reestablish Coruscant as the rightful capital of our galaxy. You must see the possibilities."

The Supreme Leader leaned back in careful consideration. "Yes…" he mused. "If you truly can persuade her then take her. Bring her to Coruscant. Give her the resources she needs. General Hux will comply with all reasonable requests for military support. She will be granted modest accommodations worthy of an emissary of the First Order. That is… _if_ she agrees. Without loyalty the senator would be a worthless ally."

"Thank you, Supreme Leader. You will be glad of your decision."

Snoke, unfazed by the gratitude, waved his hand in dismissal. "Go."

Senator Breiner nodded respectfully, turned his heel, and left the chamber. The Supreme Leader's attention shifted back to the knight. His silence was noted. "You find this arrangement agreeable?"

His hesitation was fleeting. "I have no opinion," Kylo Ren replied, his low robotic voice inexpressive.

"… I see." Dark, beady eyes studied the hooded apprentice before moving on to more important matters. "You recall our conversation from before, there are rumors of a map that leads to your former master. Skywalker." The name resonated deep into the halls of the chamber. "We have a lead."

"Where must I go?" Ren asked, floored with anticipation.

"Travel with our Chief Diplomat to Coruscant. Search the ruins of the imperial archives. There you should find the missing pieces. Our sources say the data wasn't moved far from its original location. We could be close, very close, to finishing what your grandfather started."

Kylo Ren made an effort to be as cool and collected as his Supreme Leader. But, discovering that this map was a real and tangible thing was overwhelming news. He was ready to leave in an instant.

"One more thing," Snoke continued and Ren refocused. "Vand Breiner is a logical man, but I don't trust his judgment regarding the girl. When convenient make yourself present. If you discover she intends to betray us, send her back to the _Finalizer_ for detainment. Kill her if you must. But, don't waste much time on this trivial thing. The map remains your top priority."

* * *

"Here we are again!" Vand Breiner said brightly.

"So it would seem," the prisoner caustically observed. Disgruntled was a gross understatement. After being detained for a short period of time Chell Niobe was relocated to a desk in a private office, seated across from her fellow senator; she stared down Vand Breiner as though it could do physical harm. Apparently Senator Niobe didn't appreciate being carted halfway across the galaxy against her will. Kylo Ren, who was standing close at her side, continued to consider her ungrateful. Not many prisoners brought aboard the _Finalizer_ were given the opportunity to leave alive. If they did, they rarely left whole.

Niobe glanced down at her bound and aching wrists, then to the hooded knight to her side, then to the two Stormtroopers placed at the door. The senator cocked an eyebrow at Vand Breiner, "Am I so dangerous that you feel the need to keep me restrained? Even in the presence of your wizard and two Stormtroopers?"

Kylo Ren found himself ruffled by the comment. Did she just call him a 'wizard'? More specifically, did she just call him _Breiner's_ wizard? That alone carried an offensive insinuation of his status.

Breiner flickered a nervous glance towards Ren, aware of the delicate nature of his temper. "You're a formidable woman, senator. But, you have a point. It does seem like overkill, doesn't it?" He motioned to one of the troopers to relieve her of the bindings.

Chell took a moment to rub her wrists. In earnest she shook her head and admitted, "I'm still alive and it's not adding up."

"My dear-"

" _Senator_ ," she corrected, irritated by his familiarity.

"My-yes. Excuse me. _Senator_ Niobe, you sell yourself short. The First Order has noticed your rather effective initiatives to abolish slavery and restore freedom in the less affluent reaches of the Mid Rim. We could use a diplomat of your leadership and experience to help us grow as an organization. With us you could have more wealth than-"

Chell's outrage was instantaneous, offended by the mere suggestion. "You think you can _buy_ me, senator?" she seethed.

"Oh," Vand was taken aback, stunned a politician would be offended at the prospect of more money. Say what you would about Breiner, but the man was a career politician for a reason. With deft subtlety he changed tactics. "No, I would never dream of insulting your integrity. You're looking at this the wrong way, senator. The First Order wants to sponsor your altruistic initiatives. To put it mildly, we have an excess of resources we could dedicate to improving the galaxy. Money, military, and infrastructure to support education and growth. Resources, respectfully, Parnassus and your little coalition could never hope to obtain. If we could combine our assets with your methods think of the possibilities."

Her temptation was marred by suspicion. "And if I refuse?"

Breiner chuckled darkly. "Again, senator, you're looking at this opportunity the wrong way."

Senator Niobe fell silent, feeling the weight of her precarious position. She took a deep breath and Kylo Ren sensed a sudden rush of clarity and conflict.

"I have conditions," she maintained. "I require that no harm will come to my colleagues, Senators Starstrand and Basu. They're an integral part of the process. As long as they continue to pose no threat to the First Order they will remain unharmed and… unprobed."

"If they're as important to the process as you say then, naturally, they will receive the protection of the First Order. As you will," Breiner assured despite the fact she was in no position to compromise.

"Then… Your offer is too generous to refuse, senator," she observed distantly. There was another pause, as if Niobe was futilely buying more time before her affirmative decision. "I accept, seeing as the alternative would be madness. Now if you'll permit me, I have to make a few calls."

* * *

 **A/N:** oi *drags followers through exposition*


	9. Chapter 9

Before Senator Niobe was permitted outside contact, she and Senator Breiner briefly discussed the goals and logistics of their impending trip to Coruscant. She would be granted a level of autonomy and, if she proved herself a worthy delegate, certain authorities granted over resources as well. As the conversation wore on, Niobe appeared more comfortable with these developments, yet she stewed in quiet suspicion. While Kylo Ren couldn't sense any blatant urge to betray them and flee, her thoughts on the situation remained uncertain and complicated.

When Breiner felt he had divulged enough information he invited Niobe over to his side of the desk so she could finally reach out to her colleagues. She rose for the first time as a woman there of her own free will, nearly surprised that no one attempted to restrain her. The senator walked over and essentially traded places with Vand Breiner. His fancy desk conveniently had built in hologram functionality. As she began dialing in the comm numbers, Niobe glanced up at her fellow senator and Kylo Ren. She flashed them a falsely genial smile, if only to acknowledge how intently they were both staring at her. It was clear she would have preferred to have this conversation in private, but she had yet to earn that privilege. In truth it made no difference; from here on out all of her communications would be closely monitored regardless of status.

Within moments a foot tall hologram of Senator Nebula Starstrand materialized on the table. Two days ago the woman was fashionably dressed and wore a reserved, yet haughty expression. Now she was clad in light Hapan battle armor and appeared shamelessly distressed.

" _Justice_!" Nebula exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief. "Thank the moons you're alive. Are you terribly hurt?"

Niobe shook her head.

"They've tortured you. They're holding you for ransom? No? When I saw that _thing_ carry you away in the hangar I thought for certain…"

Niobe continued to shake her head throughout her friend's speculation. "No, Nebula. I'm fine."

Starstrand sighed, yet her relief was jarringly short-lived. "Then kindly tell me what the _fuck_ is going on," she hissed. "What the hell was that you pulled at the summit? The Galactic Senate is a damn shitshow right now and for what? Chancellor Villecham is _furious_ …"

"Is Gautam there? Bring him over and I'll explain everything. Give me a second to call in Pepi…"

Senator Starstrand disappeared and reappeared moments later with Senator Gautam Basu. Though tranquilly reticent, it was clear the tall Togruta was infinitely relieved at the sight of his friend. " _Namaskaar_ , Justice. It warms me to see you alive."

The third and final participant joined the conference; a chair-bound elder materialized next to Senator Starstrand. Alastor Pepi is the first and only Prime Minister of Parnassus since the fall of its monarchy a decade earlier. The first and unfortunate thing people tend to notice about the Prime Minister is that he is initially haunting to look at. Based on the severe and disfiguring scars, Kylo Ren correctly assumed he was a plague survivor. Once one got past the scars anyone could see Pepi for what he was; a slender and dignified gentleman with irrefutably kind eyes. Although the Prime Minister has undergone drastic physical change, the knight recognized him as one of the prevalent Resistance leaders from Niobe's adolescent memories.

"Prime Minister," Senator Niobe nodded respectfully to Pepi. "Everyone. I owe you an explanation of what's transpired the last couple days. But, I open with the disclaimer that this is, of course, not a private conversation…"

With careful detail the senator recounted recent events; namely the summit, the offer proposed by the First Order, and her motivations for accepting. The detail was careful in the sense that she delicately spun the story to paint the Order in a more favorable light. For instance, she glossed over the assassination of nine senators and left out the part where she was magically interrogated. Occasionally she was interrupted with questions like, "I heard you were climbing on the walls of the senate chamber. Why'd you do that?" But, before long she was able to bring her argument to its conclusion.

"…I meant everything I said during the summit. Between ignoring the millennia of slavery and withholding plague vaccines; the Republic, Old and New, has brought us more than enough pain. Politics aside, the First Order is offering to sponsor our missions. We scrape by with what our home planets graciously afford to give us, but with sufficient resources we can expand and quadruple our efforts. Can you imagine the number of slave rings we can bust? The schools we could open? We can make a difference that actually matters." Niobe added with soft deference, "But, I can't do it without you all."

The three holograms hesitated to respond.

Chell continued, "Shortly we will head to Coruscant and that's where I'll operate from for the time being. If I summon you… will you come?"

Senator Basu was the first to speak, his tone thoughtful and even. "There are many aspects of this arrangement that make me uncertain. Our place in the galactic arena will forever change after forging this new alliance. It may come at a high cost; is it a price we're willing to pay?" Gautam paused, perhaps for dramatic effect. His expression was unreadable. "I have great respect for you, Justice. If there is one thing I am certain of is that you've never led us astray…" Nebula cleared her throat. Gautam raised an eyebrow at her and patiently retorted, "What happened on Brentaal IV doesn't count." Not caring to elaborate on what happened on Brentaal IV, he continued, "Senator Niobe, I will defer to your wisdom on these matters. If you summon me to Coruscant, I will come."

Incredibly grateful for Gautam, Niobe bowed her head before turning her attention back to Nebula. She awaited her response.

The senator from Hapes appeared stubborn, but slowly conceded. "The Queen Mother will _not_ be pleased; speaking with her won't be easy. But…" She sighed, "I'd follow you anywhere, Justice. You know that."

Most important of the three, Niobe needed Alastor Pepi's blessing. Her gaze turned to meet his kind eyes. He had been noticeably silent throughout the whole conversation. "Prime Minister?" she inquired.

The Prime Minister said nothing at first. He merely stared, observing the hologram of Chell Niobe. "You've always done right by Parnassus. I know you will continue to do right by us. But, the galaxy calls to you." Nostalgia began to upstage wisdom. "Even when the dust began to settle after the revolution, I knew you would never be content to sit back. It's as if you couldn't go five minutes without a cause to fight for… lest you implode." His light chuckle turned into a chesty cough. Despite the heavy scarring on his face, the melancholy smile he wore was apparent. "You've already been abroad for so long and now you've started this new endeavor," he mused. Pepi looked at the senator with those indisputably kind eyes. "Come home, Chell… When you can," he addressed her as if she was his own blood.

Senator Niobe couldn't bring herself to look at Pepi directly for fear she'd feel more vulnerable than she already did. The request elicited a twinge of guilt and a pang of sadness. "I haven't forgotten," she offered.

With the objective of their discussion concluded, the four said their goodbyes. Niobe assured she'd make contact again when she reached Coruscant. When the holograms finally vanished she sunk back into Breiner's chair and rubbed one of her temples. The conversation was a little more rough than she anticipated. After everything that's happened, emotionally and physically she was exhausted.

"Get up," a deep and distorted voice abruptly ordered.

Before she knew it, Chell Niobe was ushered out into the hall by Kylo Ren; Vand Breiner swiftly in tow.

"Now wait a minute, Ren. We can't just go _now_ ," Breiner protested.

"Odd. That's exactly what we're doing," the knight quipped dryly. Very dryly.

As they walked, Breiner tried to reason. "Look I'm tired, I'm sure Senator Niobe is tired. It's been over two days since any of us have really slept. You longer, I'm certain. Even the Supreme Leader says you need to rest _occasionally_. Why not briefly postpone the departure? At least until after we've had a chance to close our eyes. It would be unproductive if we're delirious from exhaustion the moment we arrive on planet."

In a rare moment Kylo Ren actually stopped his marching, thus stopping Niobe as well. Although it pained him to be doing anything except relentlessly pursuing the map, Vand Breiner's proposal was not unreasonable. "You have six hours," he stated bluntly before turning to leave in the opposite direction.

"Eight," Breiner foolishly attempted to negotiate. Perhaps he was already delirious.

Kylo Ren stopped once again. He turned slowly to shoot Breiner a menacing glare over his shoulder.

Anxiously clearing his throat, Breiner quickly rescinded that comment. He nodded vigorously, "Six is fine! That's plenty."

Apparently satisfied, the knight turned back and continued down the hall. With a sigh of relief, Breiner gestured to Niobe the direction they needed to start walking in. "The First Order doesn't have a hospitality department, per se. But, they should see us properly situated. We'll conquer the galaxy in due time, but first-" he yawned, "-Rest."


	10. Chapter 10

Chell followed Breiner through metal halls that seemed to go on forever; the odd Stormtrooper or technician eyeing them as they passed. Before their initial meeting on Hosnian Prime, there was never a need to pay much mind to the mysterious organization. There were whispers of the First Order growing in the shadows, but why would that have mattered to her? She and her colleagues had a hunch that Chancellor Villecham underestimated the Empire idolizers, yet even they couldn't fathom the extent. Chell was on a star destroyer of that much she was certain. But, something told her this brazen violation of the Galactic Ordinance didn't even begin to scratch the surface of their power.

During the time they had been walking Vand Breiner was idly chatting. To be honest, Chell hadn't been much paying attention. Her brain burned with questions.

"What is he even?" she asked abruptly. Senator Niobe didn't trust Breiner any farther than she could spit. But, seeing as they would be working together, she would have to rely on him for information. "The man in black, is he a wizard? Is he in some kind of cult? What's his deal?"

Mortified, Breiner immediately checked each direction as if he expected said wizard to suddenly appear and smite them both. Over the last couple days she had only heard (what she could assume was) the ominous man's name in cautious whispers. Broaching the subject of _Kylo Ren_ with the delicate tact of a sledgehammer was a conscious choice; she wanted to gauge the senator's honest reaction. Just how taboo was the masked agent? Without warning, Breiner urgently ushered her into a little nook in the hallway. Despite the hall being completely empty a second ago, he poked his head out once more to make sure the coast was clear. Chell felt a little silly huddled in a corner, but she didn't resist. She maintained an incredulous look as Vand turned back to her.

In a hushed whisper he finally began to answer her questions. "Listen closely as I'm not going to explain this twice, especially not here. The First Order is primarily structured through a rigid military hierarchy. Even though I handle politics I still answer to the officers and above. _He_ falls outside the normal chain of command. The only person he could almost consider a peer is General Hux, but even then his agenda can outrank the general's. My point is that he is our superior, he is everyone's superior. He is volatile, dangerous, and has powers you couldn't begin to comprehend. He could kill you now and face no consequence. So please, _please_ stop calling him a wizard. Don't think about him. Don't mention him beyond necessary logistics. To discuss him beyond this is strictly forbidden."

Chell opened her mouth to speak, but Breiner interrupted. "We will travel to Coruscant together, but once we're there he won't trouble himself with us; he has far more important matters to attend to. Don't give him a reason to pay attention to you. Understood?"

Ironically, Breiner's explanation only fanned the fire of her building curiosity. How big was their military? How much influence do they wield in the galaxy? Who was perched at the top of this rigid hierarchy? All sorts of questions raced from her brain to her mouth. But, the one that won out first was, "What am I supposed to call him?"

"Nothing!" he hissed. "Don't talk to him." Breiner heaved an impatient sigh as if she was missing the entire point of his warning. "But, should he engage you, you will address him as _sir_."

Shortly after the two emerged from their secret conference nook they were intercepted by someone in administration. Niobe and Breiner were led to a wing filled with numerous, similar looking doors. After the attendant opened one of them for Vand it quickly became apparent that these were all rooms designated for officers and other esteemed guests; basically anyone they didn't throw in a detainment center. Chell was somewhat surprised she was given her own room, though she doubted the privacy was anything more than an illusion. It would be inaccurate to say she was relieved. There was a long moment where she just stood, feet planted, staring out at the room. Her body refused to relax and rightfully so. After everything that happened over the last couple of days, how could she? At this point she was running on fumes, but there was no 'off' switch for justified anxiety.

How many minutes had gone by? Senator Niobe was so caught up digesting her own thoughts that she hadn't even taken two steps past the doorway. A swift, gentle knock jolted her from her daze. Not having to move far at all, the senator turned around and hit the control panel. The door _whooshed_ open to reveal a young attendant with a cart full of laundry and cleaning supplies. He offered to dry clean her clothes. What? Niobe looked down at her light grey robes. Prior to her arrival on Hosnian Prime her whole ensemble was immaculately pressed. But, a couple days of scaling senate walls and desperately fleeing capture have left them worse for wear. Briefly she considered if this was some sort of trick, but she dismissed the notion. If the First Order wanted her dead it probably wouldn't start as an elaborate ruse involving her laundry. Also, if anyone could get rid of a stain it was probably these assholes. Niobe agreed and the boy gave her a bag and a fresh set of generic clothes to wear in the meantime. The door closed for a moment and reopened with the senator donning only bath robe. She handed back the bag now filled with her clothes.

"Thanks, kid."

Whether or not she was willing to admit it, the small gesture of hospitality began to calm her somewhat. At least enough where she was able to get out of her head and take in her surroundings. The room, much like the rest of the ship, had that same dark, metal aesthetic. It was modest in size yet economically spaced to fit a crisply made bed and table without overcrowding the area. Even the refresher shared the same sleek, modern design. She disrobed and placed the change of clothes on the counter. In the process she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and gave a disapproving _tsh_. No wonder Nebula was spooked at the sight of her; she looked like shit. Removing the pins she shook her mess of a hair loose. Leaning closer to the mirror she peered at the light nicks and bruises that marred her face. _Eh_. Her wrists were still tinged purple from the restraints. _Not bad, could be worse._

The refresher was instantly, blessedly hot. Chell let the near scalding water engulf her for a generous amount of time before actually working to clean herself. When she finally finished the room was thick with steam and her skin was pinkishly raw between the heat and the scrubbing. After drying off she picked up the clothes given to her by the young attendant. The linen long sleeve shirt was white and had a few buttons dipping down the front. The pants, or leggings rather, were black spandex. Both were a snug fit, which was an interesting choice for a default set of clothes. Was everyone in the First Order traipsing around in tight spandex underneath their uniforms?

Once Chell was strapped into her temporary duds she shuffled back out into the room and uneasily lowered herself onto the bed. This was the smart thing to do, she told herself. Who really knows when she'd get another opportunity to sleep? Even still, she felt anxiety fighting her all the way down to the pillow. Yet days of turmoil followed by a hot shower made a compelling case for sleep. Lying on top of the blankets Chell slipped into a restless slumber. Anytime she crossed over without fail something would jerk her awake again. The flashes of nightmares that woke her varied; for the most part it was the thunderous boom of a detonator. Eventually she'd fade back in to find a black hand rushing up towards her face, only to be jolted to consciousness right before contact. The one that finally did her in was reliving the trauma of, as a child, falling far from the top of an orchard tree. Naturally she woke before hitting the bottom, but Chell was starting to take a hint; there was no way her body was going to let her sleep here. Adrenaline from the phantom fall coursed uncomfortably through her. She sat up and glanced at the glowing clock next to the bed. There was still a few hours left before they all depart for Coruscant. She definitely wasn't going to sleep and she still wanted answers. Were there even any guards outside her door? Curious, the senator got up, slipped on her boots, and poked her head out into the hall. There was no one in sight, least of all not anyone who'd try to detain her. Was there seriously nothing physically restricting her from leaving the room?

Taking this as an invitation to explore, Chell Niobe left her confines to gather intelligence on her new "friends." She had a hunch that she was probably definitely doing something she was not supposed to be doing. Then again, the senator was never known for being well-behaved.

* * *

The _Finalizer's_ external observation portal was a vast room with great, sweeping windows. It served no practical military purpose; sensory equipment was infinitely more accurate picking up suspicious activity. The intent behind the design was to awe and inspire the observer as a dramatic display of power. Without fail the observation portal exquisitely captured the beauty of a mere sliver of space. This would be a popular destination for most, but crew members have learned to avoid this magnificent room for one, violently temperamental reason.

The portal's only occupant stood infinitesimal before this view; his quiet contemplation slowly degraded into a brood. Sleep perpetually eluded Kylo Ren. He may have the mental discipline to meditate for hours on end, but sleep was something else entirely. The harder he tried the more it felt like he was grasping at smoke with his bare hands. Especially now he has knowledge of the map, finding Skywalker meant everything. That should be his only focus; not sleep, not senators. In hindsight he regrets letting Breiner convince them to delay a few hours. The knight conveniently forgot that (in the moment of the decision) he did want to sleep. The senators were already holding him back, especially the girl. Niobe showed promise, but she was already trouble. He didn't have time to be sparing thoughts on her now and he certainly won't have time to be chasing her around Coruscant later. His thoughts flitted to when he caught her in the hangar earlier that day; how intensely furious she was with him. He could still feel it. An unwelcome knot tugged uncomfortably beneath his stomach.

This wasn't what he should be thinking about.

Kylo Ren sensed her before she even reached the threshold. He didn't have to turn around to know that she approached the external observation portal, or that she tensed when she saw him. Because he hadn't moved she was under the false impression that he hadn't noticed her. Quiet as a mouse she turned to leave.

His low, synthesized voice rang out, " _Wait_."


	11. Chapter 11

" _Wait_."

 _Shit_.

Chell cringed when he called out to her. For a fleeting moment she had really thought she was in the clear. Slowly she turned back around to look at his silhouette stark against the spectacular vista of stars. He was still facing away from her, so what could have given her away? Was omniscience part of the powers 'beyond her comprehension' Breiner warned about? It didn't seem so farfetched considering his other 'magical' abilities.

Reluctantly and resentfully Niobe did as she was told; she waited where she stood.

Feet still planted, Kylo Ren turned just enough for Chell to see the profile of his helmet. "Come here." His tone was not as forceful as she would have expected, but even she dared not refuse.

The main light sources in the external observation portal came from the majesty of space and flickering blue console screens. Had this been a different situation with different people, the atmosphere would have been romantic. But, this was no such circumstance. With Breiner's warning still fresh in her mind she cautiously approached the man in black. She didn't like him, whatever he was. She hated how powerless he made her feel during their encounters. It had been years since she was truly forced to answer to anyone; the autonomy made her proud.

Halfway through the room there were two steps that elevated the floor. Chell crossed over the steps and stopped, giving a good six feet between the two of them. Once she was there Kylo Ren turned his gaze back to the enchanting stars and nebulae. "You were given a room, yet you refuse to sleep."

Chell cocked an eyebrow. From what she recalled, he was supposed to be asleep as well. Though the thought of him sleeping was hard to imagine. "No rest for the wicked it seems," the senator replied before remembering to add, " _Sir_."

A small _hmph_ emitted from his helmet. Perhaps a noise of agreement? "So you thought sneaking around would be an acceptable alternative." It was difficult to discern emotions through the deep synthesizer. On the surface his tone appeared calm, though Chell sensed a temper lurking dangerously close by. This layer of tension permeated their whole interaction.

The senator's brow furrowed, "I wasn't sneaking." This was not an entirely true statement.

His head turned towards her again. "Naturally your first instinct is to lie. I'd expect no less from a politician."

"There were no guards, no shackles," Chell indignantly reasoned, offended by his comment. "No one ordered me to stay. I'm not a prisoner here." In hindsight it was a silly thing to say, even then she knew it was false.

In a flash Kylo Ren turned and closed the distance between them, his broad frame suddenly towering over her. "Is that what you think?" he pressed, staring intently down at her.

Chell was so startled by the abruptness she didn't realize she was holding her breath. The moment was reminiscent of when she almost bumped into him for the first time on Hosnian Prime; they were standing as closely then as they are now. Slowly she remembered to exhale. If only she could best him physically, she would not be intimidated. Frustration swelled within her, but it seemed her only options here were to either behave or face dire consequences. With difficulty she swallowed her pride, looked away, and offered, "I didn't mean to disturb you, sir."

They stood in silence for a moment.

"Look at me," he said almost gently. Reluctantly Chell obeyed, but only after the side of his index finger softly guided her jaw in the right direction. Briefly, she weighed the pros and cons of biting his hand. "We'll be in Coruscant soon and I'll have a very important mission to complete. If you continue sneaking around, if you deceive the First Order in any way or try to flee… I will find you. And I will be upset. If anything unnecessary detracts my focus from this mission I will be very upset. Do you understand?"

Chell looked up at him with hardened eyes. This wasn't the first time she's been threatened and it certainly won't be her last. How dare he? Especially when she was trying to be 'nice'.

Without warning the same hand that was almost caressing her jaw now suddenly gripped at her throat. "I asked you a question, senator." Though he easily could have, he didn't use enough force to restrict her breathing or harm her. But, it was firm enough to get the point across.

"I understand," Chell replied, suppressing a sneer. He gripped a little tighter and with a wince she added, "Sir."

After a beat the knight released her, apparently satisfied. The tension eased somewhat when he took a step back. Though it seemed he only did so in order to get a better look at her, as evident by the subtle bob of his helmet. Chell could have been imagining things, but her intuition was rarely wrong. Before she could analyze it further, Kylo Ren quickly turned back towards the window.

"Get out," Ren ordered, his voice lowered. "Go back to your room and stay there until you're collected."

* * *

Kylo Ren had to go back to his room to decompress.

Perhaps Breiner had a point after all; he did need to sleep. The exhaustion was getting the best of him and it was making him weak. He was decidedly not himself during his latest encounter with Senator Niobe. After removing his helmet he unceremoniously stripped away his armor. Once that was gone he left a careless trail of clothes all the way to the refresher, naked by the time he arrived. Quietly he seethed and chastised himself. Nearly the whole time he was with her his mind felt clouded with the urge to touch her.

Without wasting any time he threw himself into the refresher, not even waiting for the water to get hot first. Ren had hoped that by putting some distance between them he could put the thoughts at bay, but it seemed he wasn't safe anywhere. Especially not here. The running water, now hot, triggered the memory of when he entered her mind at a most inopportune moment. Unfortunately he remembered with great, painstaking detail how it felt when her hands rubbed against her soapy skin. Desire had him cornered. He knew he couldn't fight it any longer and groaned in defeat. Surrendering he played the memory over again and reached for himself.

Ten minutes later a damp Kylo Ren crawled into bed, sprawled over on his stomach. Head half-buried in a pillow he glared menacingly at the wall. Despite the fact he relieved himself in the shower just moments ago he already felt himself growing hard again. At least he felt calmer now, he supposed. The want still simmered in his gut. Where did he go wrong? As it so happens, there was an exact moment where he felt a switch. His thoughts traced back to when he cornered her in the hangar. Niobe had embraced her rage so completely; she was a woman who felt emotion with great intensity. He envied her effortless passion. He was aroused by it.

Convinced all he needed was sleep, the knight forcefully shut his eyes. He had exactly two hours to get his shit together.

* * *

 **A/N** : So SPOILER ALERT it's going to get a bit dirtier from here on out. Though it's probably what you all wanted in the first place, you filthy animals.

Big thanks for the fav's, follows, and reviews! Or if you're lurking all quiet like, my thanks to you too.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** My heart wants to write filth, but my body wrote another 'exposition' chapter. Here we have the blossoming of a potential Phasma bromance. Also, Hux.

* * *

" _Get out," Ren ordered, his voice lowered. "Go back to your room and stay there until you're collected."_

Guess they were done here. Chell lingered only a moment longer to stare at his back against the spray of stars, sitting in the uncertainty of what just happened. In a way she still felt long, phantom fingers pressed around her neck. What even happened just now? The order for her to leave was abrupt, almost hurried. A moment ago it seemed like he had all the time in the galaxy to bully her. Now he couldn't wait to be rid of her.

Not looking to be told a second time she saw herself out.

Upon leaving the external observation portal something bright and shiny caught her eye. Turning her head in the right direction she got a good, admiring look at the resplendent soldier that was marching her way and very nearly upon her. _What a sight_. Tall, composed, and nothing short of a bold statement. Never before had Chell seen armor quite like this; something both so powerful and dazzling.

"You, state your designation." The voice was firm, authoritative, yet unmistakably feminine.

The realization caused an unexpected blush to creep towards the top of her cheeks. _A woman?_ A most impressive woman. Chell blinked up at the soldier of uncommonly tall stature. Oh, right, she would have to answer.

"Designation? No, I'm-"

"Senator Niobe!" The boy with the laundry cart turned into the hall, though he realized right away that she wasn't alone. "Captain Phasma," he stopped to salute.

"Carry on, PJ-6627."

 _PJ?_ PJ-6627 handed back Chell her clothes, now clean and wrapped in a papery white parcel. As he did, she quietly acknowledged how adorable it was that his designation started with 'PJ'. Was this by accident or design? Perhaps someone in the First Order had a sense of humor after all. Once the clothes were delivered, PJ-6627 respectfully took his leave. Phasma turned her attention back to the stranger.

"A senator?" her helmet tilted ever so slightly. "I was not informed of your arrival." Based on her tone the captain sounded displeased, but more suspicious than anything. It was likely she made it her business to know the comings and goings of passengers on the star destroyer, especially if such a person was an outsider.

"Were you informed of any prisoners? I was technically abducted from Hosnian Prime during a summit, my execution may have been on the table, but now I'm an emissary (apparently). Have been for the last… four hours?"

Silence hung in the air, presumably because Niobe's credibility was in question.

"It's been a weird couple of days," Chell admitted.

"What planet do you represent?"

"Parnassus."

"I am unfamiliar."

Chell chuckled, "I'm not entirely surprised. It's Mid-Rim. The galactic arena never paid us much mind. Not until quite recently, that is."

"Where were you going?" the captain inquired, referring to when she left the observation portal a few moments prior.

"Back to my room." Chell gestured, "Down that way."

There was a brief pause of consideration. "I will escort you."

"Oh," Chell was pleasantly surprised. "Thank you, captain."

The two began walking through the endless metal halls, Chell taking at least two steps for every one of Phasma's strides. The senator kept sneaking not-so-sneaky glances at her temporary traveling companion; marveling at her armor, but more importantly marveling at that glorious blaster rifle.

"What were you doing in the external observation portal?" The inquiries continued, though Chell got the impression the captain waited until they were a little farther away from their prior location before asking this particular question.

"Just… wanted to see the view," Niobe said lightly. The statement wasn't technically a lie.

"I see." Captain Phasma didn't pursue the matter further. It was entirely possible that she knew full well who was in that observation deck. If Kylo Ren permitted Chell to leave a room _alive_ after intruding on Kylo Ren alone time, then this gave the girl a little more credibility at least. If anything this was the deciding factor against her instant re-detainment.

Unable to control herself, Senator Niobe had to ask, "Is that an F-11D blaster rifle?"

"Yes." Phasma wasn't one to mince words. While this wasn't encouraging for conversation, Chell respected this and only thought more of the captain.

The senator gave an impressed hum whilst metaphorically drooling, clutching her clothing parcel a little tighter. "Custom from the looks of it. There's no trigger guard, did you opt for a recurve? You must have, there'd be no room for your fingers otherwise. That chromium finish though; gosh, you have exquisite taste in blasters."

The captain didn't reply, though she now appeared to be glancing at Senator Niobe through the side of her helmet.

"I prefer rifles as well. Though the last time I saw mine was on Hosnian Prime, so I'm sure it's long gone by now. Had her for years, rusty old bitch. Is yours a Mer-Sonn or-?" It suddenly occurred to Niobe that the captain probably considered her excited babbling a nuisance. She decided to hold her tongue on further, needles inquiry. "My apologies, captain. It seems I've started to ramble."

"It's… fine," the captain said finally. This was the closest Phasma has come to uncertainty so far, but even then she sounded carefully calculated. "Your observations are accurate, senator. I requested several custom modifications on our standard F-11D, the recurve among them…"

The rest of the short walk to Niobe's 'guest room' was spent discussing Phasma's blaster and the pros and cons of different modification types. It was not an entirely unpleasant experience and it was a nice break from the unseemly company she's kept the last couple of days.

"This is me," Chell gestured to a door on her right. "It's been a pleasure, captain."

"Senator," Phasma nodded respectfully before continuing her patrol.

Back in the room, Chell tossed the parcel on the bed before throwing herself down next to it. Part of her couldn't wait to tell Nebula who she just met. At the thought, a sudden longing plucked at her heart. It hadn't been very long, but she already missed her closest friend. For years, in times like these, they always had each other to rely on for support and counsel. It was rare that they were in a position where they were denied contact. Or in this case, their entire exchange would be closely monitored. Soon they would reunite on Coruscant, but not before Chell was absolutely certain she wasn't inviting Nebula into a death trap. Same with Gautam.

For a long while she just laid there in a restless state of half-sleep. Senator Niobe was confident those two could hold down the fort without her, but she was still itching to get back to work. Eventually she stirred and unwrapped the paper containing her now clean clothes. Grabbing the robe by its shoulders she flicked the fabric outwards to get a good look at the whole thing. _Nice work, PJ._ Bright as the day she got it and not a single smudge in sight. They even removed a stubborn stain towards the hem that had been there for months. Bless him, they even cleaned her undergarments to perfection. She would still be wary of her new situation, but she entertained the possibility that the First Order wasn't so bad after all.

By the time Chell was fully dressed with her hair redone, there was a tentative knock at her door.

"Senator Niobe," greeted Breiner's young assistant once she opened the door. "You're being summoned to the bridge."

She nodded in response. "Let's get to it then." As they began walking it occurred to Chell that she never caught the boy's name; as he was usually referred to as 'boy,' but that didn't seem an appropriate way to address a young man. Naturally she didn't know much at all about him other than he bore a certain familial resemblance to Vand Breiner. If she had to guess she'd say he wasn't older any than fifteen, despite him already being much taller than herself. Chell felt a gentle pang of grief. _That's how old she would have been now._

"What's your name, son?"

"Zelig, mam."

"Breiner?"

"I… yes. The senator is my uncle on my mother's side."

 _Ha_ , she knew it. Although he lacked the smarminess of his uncle, they shared the same brown hair and bone structure. Somehow the lad retained a good-natured innocence. Though she wondered how long that would last under Vand's tutelage.

"Is he grooming you for a thrilling career in politics, Zelig?"

"Yes, mam."

"Is that what you want?"

The boy suddenly looked uncomfortable, which could be for a number of reasons. He may not be used to his superiors paying attention to him on a more personal level. Senator Niobe wondered when the last time someone took a genuine interest in what he, himself, wanted.

"I want what's best for the First Order," the boy replied carefully.

"A smart answer," she commended. "Whenever you're willing to divulge an honest one your secret would be safe with me."

Zelig flushed, but said nothing.

Fortunately the command bridge was stationed conveniently close to the upper level habitation area. Within minutes they arrived at their destination. The bridge was a large, symmetrical room with triangular windows and that same dark, metal aesthetic. There was a long walkway in the middle with pits on either side filled with hardworking technicians on their consoles. Sharply dressed personnel quickly milled about on the floor. The moment Senator Niobe entered the room she could feel eyes drawn to her; perhaps because she was the only person not wearing black, or that she was so obviously an outsider. Chell was not one to feel self-conscious, however. In her relatively short lifetime she's fought wars, toppled a monarchy, and helped liberate thousands of enslaved persons (human and non-human alike). With death looming around every corner, she learned that feeling inferior in any capacity was a gross waste of her time. At least when she could help it.

Senator Vand Breiner waved and summoned the two over to him. He was standing near a stern looking red-head, who appeared to only barely tolerate the senator's presence. The man did his best to busy himself with literally anything else. Vand Breiner either didn't notice or didn't care and continued to talk at great length about something.

"So, that's how we'll reestablish Coruscant-Ah. Senator Niobe, you're looking remarkably refreshed."

"Despite your best efforts, senator."

"Ha, cheeky," Breiner replied smiling. "General Hux, won't you meet Senator Niobe? She's our new emissary."

 _General?_ Chell tilted her head. _But, he seems so young._

The young general did a slight double take before signing off on some datapad and passing it back to an administrator. When it left his hands he turned to face Chell, swiftly looking her over with a scrutinizing glare. In turn, she stared at him. He was almost unnaturally pale, even for a ginger. Based on this she accurately theorized he spent all his time exclusively in dark, sunless places. His eyes were tired yet stubbornly focused; another obsessive, high-ranking official who did not get much sleep.

After glancing her over General Hux looked to Vand. "This is a waste of time," he said, as if she suddenly wasn't standing right there. "She reeks of Resistance ideology. I give it a month, she'll run amuck and defect."

 _Run amuck?_ Chell tried to not look amused.

Oddly enough, Vand vouched for her. "Nonsense, general. Senator Niobe will help us do many great things."

"Then tell me, Senator Niobe," Hux turned his gaze back down to her. "What could we possibly gain from lending military assistance to your foolish endeavors?"

There were a lot of ways Chell could have answered this question. But, in this circumstance, the only one that mattered would be the one he wanted to hear. She replied in earnest, "The favor of the galaxy, general." Hux huffed in skepticism, but Niobe sensed he wasn't entirely opposed to the thought. "Countless worlds and star systems will raise the banner of the First Order and beg you for the end of Republic tyranny."

In truth, Chell Niobe hardly knew much about the First Order. Fortunately, Vand Breiner's briefing from earlier gave her a better grasp of what their operation is about and what they're trying to accomplish. Currently she knew enough to begin to achieve her own ends and appease the hands that fed her. Apparently she used the correct sequence of First Order buzzwords to at least begrudgingly pique the general's curiosity.

General Hux studied her, perhaps unsure if he should feel pleased, patronized, or neither. It was entirely possible he wanted to question her further, but he was robbed of the opportunity. In that moment an administrator came over, begged her apologies, and informed Senator Breiner that they were being summoned to the hangar. Understanding the urgency, they left promptly.

It would be unwise to keep Kylo Ren waiting.


	13. Chapter 13

With XYZ coordinates (0, 0, 0), Coruscant truly was the cosmopolitan center of the galaxy. Ripe with culture and history, it's been the foci of most major galactic events for thousands of years and beyond. To call it a planet was technically correct, but not a shred of its original terrain actually survived urbanization. Every inch of the planet's crust was paved over and hollowed out. Every speck of dirt was replaced with ferrocrete and skyscrapers that reached ambitiously into the atmosphere. Because there was no more natural way to support the environment, air was filtered heavily and the weather was manufactured. Only the most sustainable air filtration was offered to the top level of Coruscant; level 5127. Those privileged enough to afford a residence on the surface most likely lived a comfortable, vibrant lifestyle. Digging further into the planet with each passing level, however, the quality of life greatly diminished. On levels like 1313, the air wasn't the only thing that was toxic. Coruscant's underworld was a hotbed of crime and depravity. Many unfortunate people were born into this wretched, impoverished life with no hope, no sunlight, and seemingly no way out. Many joined gangs out of necessity. The city's underbelly was a dirty, dismal place.

This would not be Chell Niobe's first visit to Coruscant. When she almost turned 16, the Parnassus Revolution was technically over. Hapes offered her a full scholarship to study at their most prestigious university. It was there she met and became inseparable from Nebula Starstrand. Between semesters they frequently traveled the galaxy and were exposed to all manners of societies and cultures; including several visits to Coruscant. Even in her mid-teens Chell conceived the idea for an underground railroad of galactic proportion; offering slaves and the immorally impoverished a way to a better life. The operation had humble beginnings. Between semesters her network of contacts grew. She found there were many good people in the galaxy who wanted to help, but didn't know how. All Justice did was connect the dots and get the right people and organizations talking to one another. By age 20 she graduated from the university and the people of Parnassus almost unanimously elected her as their first senator since the Revolution. With her newfound connections and resources, she was able to take the network to the next level. Those who knew her in the senate respected her advocacy and legislation to promote equality and education. While she mostly flew under the radar of the galactic eye, Justice steadily gained infamy among slavers and crime syndicates for her work in abolition.

It was daybreak when they first arrived on planet. The ride over took a few hours at most. If it weren't for the fact that Chell physically saw Kylo Ren board the shuttle when they left the star destroyer, she never would have guessed he was there. He seemed to occupy separate compartment from herself, Senator Breiner, and Zelig. When the ship finally landed, he appeared to be the first one out and, without a word, went his own way. Vand Breiner assured her that he would be very busy tackling his top secret mission.

That didn't bother her in the slightest.

The landing platform offered a pristine, unobstructed view of the Senate District at first sunlight. Already this wasn't Niobe's typical Coruscant experience. For one, she would never indulge in a private shuttle. The planet's public transportation was affordable and reliable enough; why waste the taxpayer's money? Second, she would have most likely stayed with one of her contacts at least 50 levels below the surface. While she was by no means provincial, never did she imagine a scenario where she would be a guest at 500 Republica; easily the most prestigious and exclusive residential tower in the Senate District. Not only that, but never would she have imagined such an apartment of unprincipled luxury all to herself.

Somewhere on the 210th floor a large door swept open and Vand Breiner gestured inside. "Senator Niobe, welcome to your Coruscant base of operations. I think you'll find it rather comfortable."

Comfortable was modest way of putting it. As they stepped inside past the entryway the first thing Chell noticed were the high ceilings and large, sweeping windows. The décor was somewhat minimal and a monochrome, silvery grey. But the sleek, modern designed paired with the open airiness made it an appealing place to be. She supposed she should be impressed. But, alas, Chell Niobe didn't become a public servant for the 'glamorous' lifestyle.

"It's adequate," Senator Niobe said coolly, still critically observing her surroundings.

Breiner gave her a brief tour. There weren't many rooms, only three excluding the entryway. The main, largest had a place for herself and guests to lounge, a dining nook, and a fancy desk with office space perched at the far end. Then of course there was a bedroom and bath. The accommodations were far more splendid than what she was used to; her 'office', more often than not, was wherever she happened to be with her datapad. Currently unbeknownst to her, this apartment didn't even come close to the finest 500 Republica had to offer.

The brief tour was coming to its conclusion. Breiner cleared his throat, "Today I expect you'll start working to familiarize yourself with the resources at your disposal. Tomorrow midday a tailor will come for your measurements. As for meals-"

"A tailor?" Niobe interrupted. "What for?"

Breiner chuckled, "To outfit you with your new wardrobe of course."

She cocked a mildly offended eyebrow. "I have my own means, senator. I'm perfectly capable of outfitting myself."

"Of course you are," he placated. "But, as an emissary of the First Order there are certain standards you must adhere to. And besides, you'll be far too busy to go clothes shopping yourself. Don't you agree?"

Chell Niobe pursed her lips. She already didn't like the sound of this. "What about weapons?"

Breiner tilted his head, "I beg your pardon?"

It annoyed her that he knew exactly what she meant, yet chose to feign ignorance. "My weapons, senator. I always have at least one at my disposal."

Breiner smugly brushed her off, "Oh, you won't be needing any weapons."

"I beg _your_ pardon, senator. But, yes, I do. You can't expect me to stay here or go out unarmed."

"Should you decide to leave the building, you will be accompanied by at least one Stormtrooper. Always," he assured her.

Niobe scoffed. "I can't be seen with a buckethead everywhere I go," she protested.

"Your safety is non-negotiable, senator."

"My safety?" she repeated incredulously. "If you truly cared for _my safety_ you would arm me as soon as possible. There are a lot of people on this planet who don't care for the work I do."

"Forgive me, but you're not the only person in this building with that problem. I would know. Five-hundred Republica has one of the tightest security systems in all of Coruscant. The most powerful people in the galaxy rest easy here. You will find nowhere safer." Vand Breiner seemed quite confident in this statement. Chell Niobe; not so much. "You don't look convinced," he added. "Your paranoia has no place here, senator. You'll be well looked after."

On the outside, Senator Niobe seemed merely incredulous, but it betrayed how she quietly seethed beneath the surface. First they disarm her and now she can't leave the building without an unwelcome chaperone? Breiner did a wonderful job bullshitting about her safety. But, Chell could read between the lines. They weren't keeping her _safe_ , they were increasing her dependency and eliminating her privacy. The room was probably bugged, too. She wasn't even allowed to choose her own clothes. Honestly she somewhat expected this, but still… how dare they?

If there was one thing the First Order has yet to understand about Chell Niobe, it was that keeping her confined and subdued was no simple task.

* * *

An incensed roar echoed through dark, dilapidated halls, followed by relentless sounds of hot plasma shredding through metal.

It had been nearly two weeks since they landed on Coruscant and Kylo Ren still had nothing to show for it. He delved deep into the planet's lower levels and ransacked ruin after ruin. The quest to locate the map to Skywalker had all but consumed him. To his fury, he finally accepted the conclusion that he struck yet another dead end. Deactivating his lightsaber, Ren left the ruins and emerged out into what he knew was Slum District G17. This far below the surface never saw sunlight. The streets seemed to be lit almost exclusively by grimy neon signs. He hated this place.

To add to his growing list of frustrations, he was still occasionally plagued with thoughts of _her_. Most of the time he was too preoccupied with the mission to give the senator a second thought. Though when he did it was a sore inconvenience. As far as he knew she was up in her gilded tower doing exactly what the First Order recruited her to do. Apparently she was doing well, not that he cared. There was no reason to check. He had been, quite intentionally, avoiding 500 Republica the past couple of weeks. The closer his proximity to her, the worse he felt it. So, it was convenient his grave undertaking frequently took him far away underground. Even still, the fantasies had a way of catching him when he least expected it, becoming more vivid with each passing spell. As it turns out, merely thinking of thinking about it could trigger another bout; which is exactly what happened.

In his mind's eye he had her pinned with her back up against the wall. He was inside her, grinding into her, feeling her hot breath on his neck-

Back in reality, Ren felt a small shudder, but that wasn't interrupted his thoughts. He stopped in his tracks and stared in the direction his intuition abruptly told him to. Through a moving crowd he locked eyes with what appeared to be a female Zabrak about a hundred yards away. The helmet left holes for the horns, but her face was concealed by goggles and a scarf. Despite instantly knowing who it was, he faltered. Was this his blind lust attempting to will her into existence? Or was this actually the senator doing what she was explicitly told not to do? Oddly enough, he wasn't sure.

The moment ended almost as soon as it began. Ren took a step forward and the Zabrak slipped swiftly into the subway, effectively vanishing into a car.

Fuming, Ren grabbed his com and growled into it.

" _Where is she?"_

* * *

 **A/N** : *throws morsel to the thirsty*


	14. Chapter 14

**A/** **N:** This chapter contains references to dubious consent and references to rape. If these are triggers for you then I'd suggest not reading.

The rest of you monsters carry on.

* * *

" _Where is she?"_

There was a brief moment of static. "Who? Senator Niobe?" Vand Breiner's voice hissed over the comm. "She's in her room, Ren," he stated simply, a little puzzled he would ask. "Conducting a small holo-conference as we speak."

Something wasn't right. He knew it was her; it had to be. Unless Chell Niobe had the ability to be in two places at once, she had to be willfully deceiving the First Order in some way. Either that or he really was losing it. Whatever the situation, if she wasn't already obediently residing in her room then she'd be smart enough to hightail it back there immediately. To him, there was only one appropriate way to find out.

Thus commenced the race back to 500 Republica.

Niobe got a head start on him, yet again, but surely this would end exactly as it did on Hosnian Prime. There wasn't any time to summon a private shuttle. Despite pouring through the streets like a flood, it took Ren longer than he would have liked to find a vehicle. Eventually he found a civilian speeder bike (subconsciously pleased it was black) and jacked it without fear of consequence. Ren needed confirmation for what he already suspected was true. Once he did, Senator Niobe would pay for her treachery.

With alarming speed he took off, pushing the limits on what that piece of junk could do. Kylo Ren didn't pride himself as a pilot, but his legacy destined him to be pretty good at it. Finally he unceremoniously ditched the stolen speeder in front of 500 Republica and continued his pursuit on foot; bystanders quickly dispersing as he went. The tempo of this pulse-pounding chase was interrupted by one, anti-climactic elevator ride. With a friendly _ding_ , it resumed the moment he reached the 210th floor. Hastily he force-opened the locked door, stormed inside, and…

There she was.

It dawned on him that he must have expected to find her scrambling to destroy the evidence of her damning excursion. Instead, he was startled to see her just calmly standing there in the middle of the room; curious at his sudden appearance. Was he imagining things after all?

 _No._

There was a tense silence as he approached. As if she had just very recently disengaged from strenuous cardio, her cheeks were tinged pink. It was subtle, but she struggled to keep her breathing steady. He could sense her heart still pounding. This was the first time he saw her with her hair down and it was ever so slightly disheveled; as if it was the last thing she smoothed over before he barged in.

"Senator, you seem out of breath. Was your holo-conference... exhilarating?"

Much to the senator's discomfort he began to stalk ominously around her, drinking in every detail. Tonight she forsook her typical light grey robes for black. Though the style was quintessentially First Order, it closely resembled her original look (with a few exceptions). Apart from the charcoal color, the most noticeable addition was a wide leather belt, not dissimilar to an officer's, that fit snug around the small of her waist.

Niobe didn't hurry a response. This might not have been the scenario he was expecting, but without a doubt he knew the truth. It was written all over her face. "Can I help you?" Niobe asked carefully. "Sir?"

Coming back around to her front, Ren continued to study her. The senator had a good poker face, he would give her that much. But, she was becoming more nervous with each passing moment. And she was right to.

"I'm looking for a Zabrak woman," he responded smoothly. While not overt, there was something suggestively sinister in his tone. Niobe's jaw tensed. "Can you help me find her?"

The senator gave a terse shrug and offered, "I'd suggest consulting a matchmaker, not a politician."

A small _hmph_ escaped from his helmet. He continued, "She was about your height." His eyes trailed down to her waist. "Similar build…"

Niobe opened her mouth to protest, to lie and say she had no idea what he was talking about. But, she closed it when she quickly realized the futility. In that moment they both knew that the other knew for certain that the ruse was over. Stubborn and strong willed as she was, she was no fool. With great difficulty she conceded and quietly said, "It isn't what you think."

Senator Niobe seemed to anticipate what was about to happen, but made no attempt to escape it. Once again his hand shot out and gripped at her throat, but this time he was not as gentle. "More of your politician lies," he chided in disappointment, easily forcing her against a wall. "I could kill you for this," he stated distantly, as if genuinely entertaining the option. "I should."

Fury pooled within her as she reached for the large hand wrapped firm around her neck. Her mind raced. She wanted to fight him, to kill him, to eliminate this threat. But, in that moment there was nothing she could do…

"Do what you like," she spat, her eyes brazenly boring into the mask above her. "I'll wait for you in hell."

…Except threaten his mortal soul?

Kylo Ren groaned internally and his grip on her tightened. Nothing would please him more than to reach under her skirt, force his way inside her, and not stop until he's extracted every last one of her secrets. He bit his lip and momentarily lost himself in the thought. The lust he had for her was maddening, but he was on the verge losing control. This girl was turning him into something he didn't recognize and the amount of power it had over him was jarring. For someone who should, hypothetically, have absolute mastery over his body and mind, this was unacceptable.

For a long moment he almost didn't, but Kylo Ren finally released his hold on her neck; his fingertips reaching to stay against her flesh even as he pulled away.

"Indulge me, then," he said finally. Though he appeared stoic, he desperately worked to cool himself down and stabilize his thoughts back to normalcy. "What were you doing in District G17?"

Niobe touched her neck, subconsciously making sure it was still there. "I needed a doctor. More specifically I needed a surgeon," she started, unsure of how the story would be received. "Not for me. Weeks ago my associates captured a small, Consortium slaver operation on Gan Moradir. The surgeon I assigned was too inexperienced and… Removing a property implant is a very difficult procedure, you see." She felt a harsh pang of failure. "People are dead because of my poor judgement and I had to make it right. I knew Dr. Wu by reputation. He's a gifted surgeon and has successfully performed this procedure many times before. The moment I heard he was on Coruscant I tried to reach out to him, but he wouldn't speak with me.

"He's not with the Resistance," she quickly assured. "But, he doesn't like the First Order either. As long as I was in this building I knew he would never consider my request." She paused, knowing she may regret what she was about to say. "Several of my contacts here on Coruscant are not fond of the First Order. I've been out there five times now, maintaining the relationships while trying to convince them against their bias…"

"You have been sneaking around," Ren observed, agitation thick in his deep, synthesized voice.

"And now I've made you very upset," she echoed his warning from the observation portal.

The knight didn't answer verbally. Instead, his hand rose once more until his fingers hovered an inch from her cheek. Knowing what was about to happen, Niobe recoiled.

"But, I've told you the truth," she protested. "You know I have."

"Quiet," he ordered as he braced himself. Technically, she was right. Yet he sensed a deliberate omission. If there were pertinent details she wouldn't divulge willingly then he would have to take them by force. Within moments he entered her mind and began aggressively sifting through her memories. Niobe winced and twitched, the pain brutal, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of crying out.

For the most part her story checked out. Though her methods of sneaking around were impressively elaborate. She used pre-recorded conferences and broadcast them to throw Breiner off her scent. In truth, if it weren't for Kylo Ren's presence, she probably never would have been caught. But, what Niobe conveniently neglected to mention was the small arsenal of weapons she smuggled back into 500 Republica.

Even though Ren found what he was looking for, curiosity compelled him to keep rifling for a moment longer. He caught a glimpse of one memory when she must have been a child; she was chasing a smaller girl with yellow hair through a vibrant, green orchard. The last memory he stopped at was of her plummeting towards the ground from one of said trees.

Breaking the connection he pulled away, leaving her just as confused and shaken as he did the first time. Niobe wasn't crying, per say, but her eyes had started to tear up. Part of him wanted to reach out and help steady her, but he ignored the impulse. Besides, she had a relatively good grip on herself.

"The weapons, senator. And your disguise. Bring them to me."

Niobe was not happy about it, but she did as she was told. Procuring a large bag hidden underneath the couch, she indignantly dragged it out before him. Then, sticking her hand into an unassuming vase, she pulled out her horned helmet and outfit from before. With great pain she tossed that into the pile as well.

"Are those real Zabrak horns?" he found himself asking.

"People give me weird gifts," she replied stiffly. Though this gift was more morbid than weird. After a beat she protested, "Look, you're making a big mistake. I've been very successful at protecting myself by doing two things; I arm myself and I keep moving. Here I've been stripped of both and I-"

"You're paranoid," he said flatly, sensing her anxiety.

Niobe flared with anger, but stifled it with a bitter chuckle. "People are always telling me I'm paranoid. And you know what? I'm always right."

Kylo Ren considered this, he even believed her in some capacity. But, the security at 500 Republica was much more sophisticated than what she was used to. Besides, it had already been agreed upon beforehand; Senator Niobe was still too unpredictable to be armed.

"Step aside, senator," he ordered before igniting his lightsaber. In a few flourishes everything in the pile was sliced into worthlessness. Niobe made a mournful whimper at the loss of her rare, genius disguise and some perfectly good blasters. Holstering the now deactivated saber he turned his attention back to her.

"It seems I've distracted you from your mission," she observed delicately, still reeling from the blow to her independence. Mostly she was wondering what form her next punishment would take.

"Yes." Though, the senator was blissfully ignorant of the extent. He came closer, mulling over how frequently his focus was dominated by unwelcome thoughts of her. "Know that I've been merciful to you."

"This won't happen again," she assured. Though she was uncertain as to why the distance between them was suddenly closed.

"That's right," he replied absently, unaware he said anything at all. His thoughts had gradually started to race again as he reached for her…

Until an infernal ringing knocked him back to his senses. The comm center at her desk was going off; someone was calling for her.

Niobe allowed it to ring a couple of times. She blinked up at the man in black as if a slow realization dawned on her. By the third ring she spoke up.

"I have to get that," she said hesitantly.

Ren gave a single nod towards the desk and Niobe took that as a sign she was relieved of their conversation.

With that he left.

* * *

The following week was more agonizing than the last. Kylo Ren was no stranger to misery, but he had never known dissatisfaction on such a profound level. It seems their latest interaction served to only provoke his restless imagination. He tried to place himself above it, meditate it away, but it was a fruitless effort. Constantly he thought of the "what-ifs" of their meeting. What if he had lost control? What if he sliced that damn desk in half and had his way with her? The fantasies were so vivid he was starting to think that they were actually visions of what could have been. Every day he jerked off to the thought of her, but it was never enough.

It never would be.

He couldn't stay away any longer. Sick with desire he found himself back at 500 Republica, crossing over the threshold of her apartment. It was late, but she was still pouring over datapads at her desk.

Startled by his sudden appearance she stood. "You're here," she exclaimed. With a puzzled look she asked, "What have I done this time?" Her question was in good humor, though she genuinely started to question whether or not she stepped out of line since their last meeting. "Have I wronged the First Order in some way?"

"No."

"Oh," she stated, unsure of whether or not she should be relieved.

Despite the fact that he was the one who came here, Ren was suspiciously quiet. She eyed him, concern in her brow. "Then I don't know why you're here."

There was a long pause. What Kylo Ren said next was more surrender than admission.

"To see you."

In that moment he reached for the edge of his helmet. With a soft hiss it was removed and held down at his side. For the first time he saw her without a dark lens. For the first time she saw him. Confusion racked her brain as she could only render a dumb, wide-eyed expression. Overwhelmed Niobe took a few steps back and faced the large, sweeping window behind her. The generous vista of Coruscant lit up at night was marvelous. But, he wasn't here for the view.

With a hard swallow he walked towards her. She tensed at his approach, but didn't turn to look at him even as he stopped close beside her. With his free hand he guided Niobe's shoulder around until her back was to the glass, facing him. That same hand reached towards her face and his thumb gently traced down the edge of her jaw, long fingers resting at her neck. With a soft shudder she leaned into the touch.

"Senator," he breathed and swept down towards her. Never could he have imagined how intoxicating her natural scent would be. How he longed to be close to her, inside of her. Their lips touched, just grazing before she abruptly turned away. The look in her eyes was suddenly hard and distant. A cold realization washed over him; she wasn't going to kiss him.

Ren softly bit his bottom lip, savoring where they had barely touched. Rejection twisted in his gut like a blade. He found he couldn't bring himself away just yet; he still hovered close, crowding her against the glass. Carefully he studied her face. "Do you find me so distasteful?" he asked at length, hurt edged at his voice.

"You should go," Niobe said firmly. Though she held her ground, there was a tangible fear that he would not do as she asked.

The insidious notion crossed his mind. Desperately he wanted to fulfil his every wicked thought and fantasy, to use her as he pleased. Yet when he imagined these moments she was always so eager for him, so pliant. Now that he was actually faced with the complex, free-thinking person before him… apparently this wasn't the case. Part of him didn't want to care. Foresight granted him a vision of what would happen if he forced himself on her; it was ugly. She would have fought him and she would have lost.

This wasn't how he imagined it would go.

Feeling sick, Ren finally pulled his hand away from her neck and took a step back. They took one last look at each other before he reaffixed his helmet and made his exit.

* * *

 **A/N:** *shakes fist* ooh, so close


	15. Chapter 15

Oh no.

Certain he was gone, Chell slid down the glass of the grand window until she sat on the floor. What just happened? Basking in disbelief, her fingers delicately pressed the part of her lips that barely touched him. Was he? What did he? Did he just? Oh no. Heat rose to her cheeks. Incoherent questioning clouded her for a moment. She took a deep breath to center herself.

This wasn't how she thought her evening would go.

Surprise was an understatement. She would have sooner expected to see a shaved Wookiee frolic wildly through her office before witnessing a Kylo Ren unmask himself and… try to kiss her? Her cheeks grew hotter still as a restless palm rubbed into her forehead. Sure, idly she had wondered what he kept under all that helmet, but whatever she was picturing, it wasn't _that_. Subconsciously she had started to believe the ensemble was his body, there was no practical reason to imagine otherwise. Perhaps that was why the reveal was so jarring to her; it was like watching someone peel off their own skin.

In hindsight, was this escalation so unexpected? Between the lingering looks and the handsy handlings, her instincts were at least subtly aware of his interest since day one. With each encounter it had become more apparent, but she honestly didn't think anything would come of it. The idea just seemed so bizarre. In her defense, she's had a lot on her plate and it seemed a waste of time to dwell on trivial what-ifs. Though it seemed she couldn't ignore it now. While it's _technically_ possible they'd simply never speak of this again, Chell Niobe strongly suspected otherwise. This time she was going to listen to her instincts, since apparently they were always fucking right. And right now her instincts were telling her she needed backup.

Crawling up to the seat of her desk, Senator Niobe contacted her closest friend. A hologram of Nebula Starstrand materialized before her. Much to Nebula's dismay, Chell had avoided summoning her up to this point. Before she feared putting Nebula in needless danger, though now she was certain the danger was of a completely different sort.

"There you are," Nebula chided playfully. "I'm quite hurt you've snubbed me for this long. But, if you beg nicely I may consider joining you. I'm very susceptible to flattery…"

"Nebula…" was all Chell could muster.

There was a silence and Starstrand's lighthearted expression eased into a growing concern. "You don't look well," she observed suspiciously. "What's happened?"

Shaking her head Chell replied, "I need you. How soon can you get here?"

The Hapan balked at her friend. "Justice, really? Today I accepted an assignment from the Queen Mother. It could be weeks until I can get out there. I didn't…" she sighed, "I didn't think you would summon me for a while. You've been so vague and-"

"Listen, we have a code twelve."

At first, there was disbelief. Starstrand chuckled incredulously, "You can't be serious." When Chell didn't budge there was a quiet gasp. "There? Now?" Nebula cursed abruptly under her breath, " _Shit_." Understanding the severity of the situation she scrambled to compromise. "Just give me a week, week and a half tops and I will be there as soon as I can… _Shit._ "

Unable to go into greater detail over the unsecure line, the two ended their conversation shortly thereafter. It seems it would be some time until Senator Starstrand could arrive. Even her Togruta ally, Senator Gautam Basu, had pressing responsibilities he couldn't shirk for at least another week. So much for her ride or die companions. Chell heaved a controlled sigh.

This is fine. Everything is fine.

* * *

That went poorly.

In the elevator Kylo Ren allowed his head to fall forward until it clanked against the wall. He repeated the motion several more times. Of course she wouldn't have him. What woman would? He groaned inwardly. There was nothing he could offer her. _Stupid_. He had been too busy imagining how her lips tasted to even consider what she might have wanted. What stung the most was that he was so confident things would have gone differently; he's seen them together, or at least he thought he did. Now he's not so certain. Doubt lingered like a sludge in his veins. Did he do something to forever prevent it from becoming reality? Did she really find him so repulsive? Frustrated, enraged, his fist flew hard into the wall leaving an unnatural dent in its place.

By the time he exited the elevator it had been charred beyond recognition. Smoke and sparks billowed out from the doors as they opened. Later, terrified and deeply confused Republica technicians would be baffled by the wreckage.

The day was spent pursuing more fruitless leads for the map; each new location utterly destroyed in his wake. Between outbursts he brooded over her refusal. Erratic thoughts kept racing back to a specific moment of their encounter; when his thumb traced the lining of her jaw. If she found him loathsome, he would have to agree. Yet, even the senator's stubborn resolve couldn't hide that flicker of desire. Undeniably she felt something for him, however brief. What made her refuse him? For someone who could read minds, figuring out this vexing woman was far more trouble than it should have been. He wanted to be rid of her. Yet, he ached to be close to her. How is it that rejection only made him want her more?

In transit to a new location, his comm began to buzz. Vand Breiner's voice hissed through the device, " _Ren? It's the girl_."

Static. His response was stoic, "...What is it now?"

" _She's up to something_."

* * *

That evening Vand Breiner invited Senator Niobe to a dinner party at his (far more extravagant) apartment. Apparently he wanted her to rub elbows with some of Coruscant's elite like the city police commissioner and director of the board of education. For various reasons she accepted. Eighty percent of politics is who you know and Senator Niobe never missed an opportunity to potentially expand her network. Not to mention this would serve as a proper distraction from her current situation. Besides, she had words for the people who allowed crime and poverty to run rampant on their planet.

When Niobe arrived at the party it emanated every bit of bourgeois snobbery she expected. There weren't many guests, ten in total, and they were all decorated around the parlor mingling amongst themselves. The senator made a solid effort to be convivial and pleasant, she really did. But, little things kept crawling under her skin and she was quickly running out of fucks to give these people. For example, Senator Breiner had this irksome habit of talking down to her and behaving like they were more familiar than they were. In context of the First Order he was above her in rank, sure. But, in the context of the senate she was superior in both her voting record and her contributions. It didn't help that she believed him to be an insincere prick.

Eventually Chell found herself talking one on one with the director of the board of education, Halson Fritz. Part of her was hopeful they would have an earnest and refreshing discourse on his plan to bring standardized education to the lower levels of the planet. Naturally that didn't happen. Instead he went into great detail of all the credits he accumulated from his campaign funds, particularly from private interests, and how he inappropriately spent that money on lavish vacations and alarmingly young women. Chell was amazed at how much a person would divulge if she stayed quiet and maintained a positive, encouraging expression. She continued to listen with rapt interest, the director blissfully unaware the conversation was about to turn sour.

Senator Niobe asked suddenly, "Do you know your planet's literacy rate?"

Director Fritz was taken aback, but gave her an uncertain smile. "Well, off the top of my head I'd say ninety-"

"Sixty-five percent," she interrupted coolly.

At this point the various conversations around the room lulled and eyes were drawn to their direction. Going on the defensive, the director huffed, "Look, I don't know where you get your information-"

"The official census," Niobe stated simply before clarifying, "The same place you get your information."

Halson Fritz started to turn red, but didn't have a mind to defend himself.

Niobe continued, "It would have been more accurate for you to say that only the top thirty levels of the planet have achieved total literacy in adult humans and non-humans. Each level below that declines almost proportionately the farther you go." She laughed. "I just find it odd that you, director of the board of education, are bragging about your fancy trips and your pretty girls when for decades your planet has failed to meet even the most basic galactic standards. Truly, Coruscant is an embarrassment to the Core Worlds. But, you probably pay good money to keep that from becoming common knowledge, right?"

This was when the police commissioner stepped in to defend his buddy. Of course, she had even more words for the commissioner on the systemic corruption of law enforcement and how they were ironically creating criminals and then punishing them. In fact, anyone with a title that dared to speak up became the target of her tirade. Moral of the story: Chell Niobe was a delight at parties.

The only thing that broke her stride was a seemingly innocuous question from Vand Breiner. In a brief pause he found his opportunity.

"What is a 'code twelve'?"

Niobe blinked in hesitation, caught off guard by the question. "I beg your pardon?"

Breiner obliged, "A 'code twelve', senator. What is it?"

Senator Niobe froze in place. Of course, she was well aware that all of her communications were screened. She should have known that the words 'code twelve' would raise some eyebrows. Between Chell and Nebula, a code twelve meant "problematic admirer." Given her current situation, she felt it prudent that the First Order not find out.

Carelessly trusting her apparently infallible instincts she blurted, "A particularly violent menstrual cycle."

Why? Why would she say that?

She then added, "...Of which you need your fellow women friends for support."

Every man present recoiled. The few women stared incredulously on.

Vand Breiner, though disturbed, had questions. "Senator Niobe, I don't think… based on the context of your conversation… Oh, thank goodness, Ren. Right on time."

Chell's breath caught in her chest as she turned to see the man in black who seems to have just arrived. Even after she turned away, she felt his gaze hot on her as he approached.

"Last night Senator Niobe signaled a 'code twelve' to Nebula Starstrand. Upon questioning, she insists it's another word for a woman's cycle… I don't believe this is the case."

Kylo Ren had stopped halfway between Niobe and Breiner. He regarded her for a second longer than necessary. Chell projected a proud indifference while purposefully looking anywhere but him. This was a little embarrassing. Of all the people she didn't want to intervene, he appears. Now he'll do that _thing_ again and find out the truth…

Kylo Ren slowly turned back to Senator Breiner and asked at length, "You didn't know?"

Chell's jaw could have hit the floor. In truth, she was too stunned to do anything but hold that proud posture. Though her brow did raise ever so slightly.

Nervous, Breiner stammered, "Well, no, I'd never-"

"I knew," chimed Halson Fritz, who was apparently quite desperate to retain some illusion of intelligence. In fact, all the other men Niobe scolded that evening nodded in agreement; none wanting to appear out of touch. The few women appeared critical, yet said graciously said nothing.

With some difficulty, Chell successfully suppressed her amusement. It was still too early to relax, however.

In two strides Kylo Ren was upon a humbled Vand Breiner. His low timbre warned, "For your sake, I suggest you stop wasting my time with pointless inquiries. Are we clear, senator?"

Breiner gave a quick, silent nod.

"Good," the knight asserted, taking his leave thereafter.

A collective sigh fell over the guests. If Senator Niobe hadn't done a good enough job of it earlier, Kylo Ren succeeded at obliterating the vibe of the party. Vand attempted to revive it when he encouraged one of the guests, a talented musician, to lighten the mood with an impromptu performance. During the song, however, Chell quietly slipped away.

Out in the hall she summoned an elevator. That ordeal went better than she expected, amusing even, yet it raised a host of other questions and concerns. Obviously Kylo Ren didn't buy into her fib. Based on the time frame, he probably assumed a 'code twelve' involved him in some way. But, he couldn't know any specifics. Unless he was able to read thoughts without the hand gesture? Could he read her thoughts _right now_?

That deep, robotic voice called out to her, "Do you always scold bureaucrats?"

Instantly Chell tensed and cast a sideways glance back at her problematic admirer. He'd been waiting for her like he knew she would come. She wanted to be surprised, but she was guilty of suspecting he would be.

"…Only when they deserve it," she replied smoothly over her shoulder before turning back to the elevator, quietly willing it to hurry. Consciously she reminded herself to keep her breathing steady.

Part of her wanted to run back to Breiner's apartment, but the notion didn't sit well with her. She wanted to do the right thing, the strong thing, but what would that be? Another part of her speculated that if she didn't stand her ground here then this man would think he could walk all over her, do whatever he wanted without consequence. The latter was technically true and that raised the stakes a bit, but she will hold fast regardless of peril.

The doors pulled open and she stepped inside, immediately pressing for her floor. On cue, a black hand caught the metal slab and easily pushed it aside.

"Sir?" she inquired, her tone stern.

There he stood in the threshold, his hand against the frame. They stared each other down. This was her golden opportunity to tell him to go, to leave her be, that his attention was unwelcome. She knew this. In spite of it all, she deliberately abstained.

 _Well, shit_.

His hand fell away from the entry as he stepped inside. By the time the doors closed his helmet was off and at his side. He stood close in front of her, as close as he had been the night before, carefully observing her face. The elevator started to move and its already limited space seemed to shrink around them. Her guard started to crumble. Cautiously, her eyes rose to meet his, unaware her lips had parted. When they did, it happened without hesitation; he pressed his lips to hers for a surprisingly tender kiss. Though he was gentle, she could sense a great deal of restraint. With each beat that inhibition melted away. He wanted so much more from her and the fervor was raw, contagious. His hand trailed from the side of her neck to the small of her back, pulling her closer as he kissed her harder.

Niobe felt hot, light-headed, overwhelmed. This was almost too much. Hands found their way to his chest and she pushed into him with her the whole of her body. She hummed a soft, involuntary moan against his mouth. Goodness, it really was too much. Now within arm's reach of the control panel she pulled her hand away and blindly pushed at one of the floors, still not breaking the kiss. Which floor? It didn't matter, really. The doors opened. Lips still locked passionately to his, she gently ushered him backwards until he was standing just outside. Urgently she pulled away and retreated back into the elevator, the abruptness of what transpired rattled them both. She felt his deep reluctance when they parted, but he allowed it all the same. Pressing for her floor, it felt like an eternity waiting for the damn doors to close. In this moment, all they could do was look at each other. She was flushed, breathless, yet still desperate to keep it all under control. Regret coursed through her; ashamed she let it happen, ashamed that she liked it.

The last thing she saw before the doors shut completely was a knowing smirk tug slowly at the corner of his mouth.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N** : Hii thanks for dropping in. This chapter contains some dubious consent and reference to rape. Spoiler alert: No raping actually happens, but if you're triggered by that sort of thing I don't want you to read anything potentially upsetting. Sorry in advance to my viking reader base.

* * *

With balled fists Kylo Ren pushed his way once again through the halls of 500 Republica. It had been a long night and a troublesome day so far. There were things he had to do, leads to follow up on, but the kiss he stole hovered incessantly at the forefront of his mind. Even just thinking about thinking about her provoked the memory of how she tasted; it was enough to derail any productive train of thought. On one hand, he did not appreciate getting pushed from the elevator onto some random floor; he's killed for lesser transgressions. On the other hand, progress. Removing himself from her was a challenge, but it had to be done. The weeks that he wanted her felt like months; to finally have her in his grasp only to be denied a moment later was maddening for him. It would have been easy to take her in that elevator, it would have been easy to take her in a lot of places. But, _patience_ , though the concept seemed foreign and dirty to him. He would soon have what he wanted, one way or another she will give in; last night made him sure of it. The question was when.

First, he had business with Vand Breiner as they were scheduled touch base with Hux via holo. Ren approached the apartment and, coincidentally, sensed Niobe at his destination well before he arrived. As he did, he caught the tail end of an argument that she appeared to be winning.

"Senator, I filed for that appeal a week ago the moment you brought it to my attention," Breiner gave a tired response to what sounded like an accusation, as if futilely attempting to smooth things over with her.

"An appeal never would have been necessary in the first place had this been properly dealt with _years_ ago," she fired back. "All you had to do was add Coruscant to a roster. That. Was. It. You didn't have to speak, you didn't even have to be physically present at the summit. Yet I don't recall as much as a memo from you that day. Tell me, was it laziness or ignorance which prevented your participation?"

When Breiner didn't answer right away Niobe huffed and turned to leave, too irritated to continue civilized conversation.

With an exasperated sigh Breiner called out to her, "What would you have me do then?"

Not skipping a beat she stopped and shot back an unrelenting glare, "I would have you do your job."

The second time Niobe turned to leave she hadn't noticed Kylo Ren's presence until she turned and almost walked into him. She was startled by his sudden appearance, but hid it well. Her expression was still stubbornly locked in the harsh look she gave Breiner. The only thing that physically gave her away was a treacherous hint of color rising in her cheeks. To his satisfaction, he sensed her flustration.

"Sir," she said quickly as she stepped back, gaze dropping to the floor.

The knight took the opportunity to drink her in, to feel her conflicting emotions, to sense her increasing heartbeat. In spite of this, she still outwardly retained a cool sense of control. When he finally has his way with her, he wanted to ensure she lost all meaning of the word composure. It killed him that Breiner was in the room. Being so close to her did nothing to quell his desires, nor did he really want them to.

"Is there a problem?" Ren asked, curiosity inflected his low, robotic voice.

"No!" Breiner interjected before Niobe had a chance to say anything that may ire the man in black. He chuckled. "No, no problem at all. Senator Niobe was just leaving," he added, subtly urging her to get out.

"Yes," Niobe reiterated. Still having something to say, she turned her attention back to Breiner and added in that same stern, professional cadence, "Please send over those astral projections I requested. I will need them."

Vand conceded, sounding both incredulous and a little impatient, "Fine, I'll send the boy. Anything else for you, _senator_?"

"No, that will be all... Good day." With that Senator Niobe hastily took her exit, carefully stepping around the knight as she went. She may have avoided looking at him for the most part, but Kylo Ren unabashedly didn't take his eyes off of her until she left the room. Tempting as it was to follow her out, that wouldn't bode well for various reasons.

A sense of relief washed over Vand Breiner when she left. Since Hux appeared to be running late for their holo-conference, Vand took the opportunity to fix himself a drink and start a monologue no one asked for.

"That woman is a tyrant," he mused, mostly to himself, grabbing an expensive looking whiskey bottle from under his desk. Since Ren didn't immediately silence him, he took it as a sign he was permitted to continue. "When we arrived on planet she asked me all sorts of questions about my policies and what I've enacted here. I thought she was just making conversation…"

Now with a modest glass of amber spirit in hand he sat back at his desk. "I didn't want to get into it. So, I told her a few... misleading things, thinking that would be that, right?" Judging by his sullen expression, that didn't work out well for him. " _Wrong_. She's following up, Ren. On every false claim I made she's followed up with lectures and, and solutions and datapads… nearly every other day! Honestly, I don't know where she finds the time or energy." He paused and took a thoughtful sip from his glass. "Naturally I considered punishing her insolence, but the woman gets results. She's helped put me in contact with senators and private parties who, prior to this arrangement, never would have given me or the First Order the time of day - and we've only just gotten started. I'd prefer not to hinder her process."

The senator took another sip and digressed, "Yet, nothing I do pleases her. Nothing! I implement her solutions, but there's always something I could have done better; a detail I missed, a group of people I've 'disregarded.' Even in art, I showed her my Altair piece and do you know what she said? 'Anything he released past the turn of the decade lacks substance.' _Altair_! When would she even, ugh nevermind. I can feel my hair grey by the second…"

With a defeated sigh he indulged in another, more generous sip. "The dinner party last night was good fun though. It is refreshing to see her go off on someone else for once. Amusing, even."

Normally Ren would never allow Breiner to speak candidly for so long. But, he supposed he could use a break from internally obsessing over Senator Niobe to listen to someone talk about… Senator Niobe… Where the hell was Hux anyway? Idly, his gaze turned back towards the door she exit. He resolved to see her again and it had to be soon.

It had to be that night.

* * *

This was a lot.

Uncomfortably aware of the heat in her cheeks, Chell retreated back into her apartment; cautiously looking over her shoulder before entering any elevators (oddly, the one she normally took had been out of service since yesterday). The senator internally screamed all the way back to her kitchen nook and haphazardly began to make herself some desperately needed coffee. She certainly hadn't forgiven herself for allowing that kiss to happen last night. She was even less forgiving of the fact that she hadn't stopped thinking about it all night and day. _Stupid_ , she scolded inwardly, aggressively pouring beans into the apparatus. _Stupid, stupid girl._ She tossed the bag of java beans aside and pined for Nebula.

There was no way this guy was going to let up, she noticed how he hadn't looked away from her in Breiner's office. In a way she felt his eyes on her still. She was loath to admit how he disarmed her, especially once the mask was off. Truthfully, she wouldn't have minded if he was horrifically scarred in some way, she happily got along with much worse. Yet her adamant decision to have nothing to do with him wasn't based on looks or the fact that he was an incredibly dangerous individual. This wasn't about what she _wanted_. Nothing ever was.

After a short time of brooding, there was a buzz at the door. Placing her mug on the desk she got up to answer, confident it couldn't be her problematic admirer; the wizard would have no qualms seeing himself in. No, it was just Zelig, Vand Breiner's nephew and unceremonious protégé. He had come to deliver the astral projections she requested from earlier.

Absentminded by her own predicament she accepted the parcel, Chell was about to usher the boy back out when he spoke. "At the party last night, it was really cool when you yelled at Fritz and… almost everyone else in the room. I've never liked them much and I think they deserved it."

The senator unenergetically cocked an eyebrow. She doesn't know about _yell_ , but she understood what he meant. "Thank you, Zelig," she accepted wearily, nearly about to usher him out again.

"I-uh, thought about what you asked me. Back on the _Finalizer_ , I mean. Do you remember… you asked me about what I… what I wanted?" The boy looked sheepish, dreading the notion of her forgetting their exchange.

Interest piqued, Chell's attention effortlessly drifted from herself to the young dreamer before her. She replied assuredly, "I do."

"Oh, well…" Zelig hesitated before admitting, "Botany. I would really like to pursue… botany."

"Botany," she repeated as she considered him a moment. When she spoke, her enthusiasm was both non-ironic and genuine. "Zelig, that's fantastic. Botany is a fascinating and integral field of study. I'm impressed, the science is often understated in these parts of the galaxy."

"My uncle does not approve…"

"Ah, of course he doesn't," Niobe shook her head. "You must do as he says, I suppose. To an extent…" Zelig looked at her with alarm, as though what she was saying was blasphemy. Then, with great sincerity, Chell gently gripped his upper arm and imparted some words, "Never let anyone stand in the way of your own education, your own passions. If you must be a politician then so be it, but you can also have botany. You can have both. And your life will be richer for it. Do you understand?"

Zelig nodded carefully and Chell released his arm. "Good," she said finally. "If you'd like, please come back in three days. I'll have a gift for you."

Overflowing with relief and gratitude the boy grinned, "Oh, wow. Thank you, senator. I will definitely be back, thank you. Um, as for my uncle… He doesn't need to know…"

"Of course," she nodded wisely. "Think of this discretion as Diplomacy 101."

Zelig left in high spirits. In a way he lifted Chell's spirits as well. For a moment she was able to separate herself from her own self-centered drama and refocus on what she did best; public servitude.

Now with the astral projection piece in hand she loaded it into the machine on her desk. With a flick of a switch the lights in her apartment were dimmed and a detailed map of the mid rim materialized, spattering the darkness with its effervescent, spectral glow. A projection like this had many uses. In this particular instance, Niobe used it to confer with her colleagues on resource disbursement efficiency. It was an excellent visual tool to ensure no one was neglecting basic geography in their decision making, a common and usually devastating oversight within interstellar politics.

For what could have been hours Niobe conversed into a hand comm with senators currently stationed in other solar systems, all looking at the same projection. The conference was very occasionally heated, but for the most part productive. It wasn't until the very end, when the call was winding down, when the conversation turned to other pleasant subjects, that she first spotted him; standing just beyond the edge of the projection. Kylo Ren must have only just entered, his presence was a heavy one and not easily missed.

Upon sight, a chill ran down her spine and dispersed though her extremities. Chell knew what she had to do. Originally she had been sitting at the edge of her desk, but she rose the instant she saw him. Eyes trained on the hooded figure she brought the comm up to her face and spoke into it, tone unfazed by him, "Senator Niobe signing off. Thank you, everyone." When her hand came back down to her side he began his approach, the holographic stars and nebulae phasing over him as he passed.

The man in black didn't stop until he had her nearly pinned between himself and the desk behind her. Though he currently refrained from touching her, the gaze that bore down from the void in his mask was uncomfortably tangible.

Oh, right. Words.

"Do you need something, sir?" she asked with cold reluctance, imagining herself a wall of durasteel.

After a beat he reached up and with a mechanic hiss the helmet was gone, singlehandedly placed on the desk beside her with a distinct _thud_. This was the first time he set it down in her presence; he intended to stay.

"I think you know," he returned, quietly amused by her.

Oh no. Heat instantly surged back into her cheeks. She already fucked up by letting the helmet come off. Now she had to contend with those intense eyes of his and those stupid, luscious lips… This confrontation already escalated farther than she anticipated. She had to end this fast.

A leather hand gently grazed her cheek. "You're blushing," he pointed out, tone as soft as his touch.

Chell blinked up at him and dumbly shook her head. She started to breathe out a feeble protest, "I'm…" But, the thought was interrupted when he came dangerously close to kissing her again. Right as they were about to make contact, she trembled and pulled away. Finding the nerve she pressed her palms into his chest and lightly pushed, putting more distance between their faces. When she determined there was enough room, she looked back up into his eyes. Perhaps there was part of her that did want this. Who wouldn't want to indulge in devilishly handsome man with broad shoulders and lips for days? In a different life, perhaps she would. But, this was not that life. In this life, it's never about what she wanted. This was always about the big picture; it was about power, control, and respect. With this man, they would never be equals. Chell would bet any amount of money that he didn't view her as a person, but as a conquest, a challenge, a _thing_ to dominate. After all, this was the man who hunted her like an animal on Hosnian Prime, who invaded her thoughts and threatened her on numerous occasions. If she let him have his way here, where would it end? Would other high ranking officials of the First Order think they could have their way with her too? She didn't know, but she couldn't risk it. She's come too far to throw it all away for some raven-haired mistake.

"This can't happen," she said finally, boldly returning his gaze. His hard expression difficult to read, but she continued, "What you're doing, it needs to stop. I mean if you need to interrogate me, torture me, kill me – I get it. You'll do what you must for the First Order. But, _this_ … Whatever it is you want, whatever it is you're looking for here, with me… You won't find it."

With that she slipped away from between him and the desk and began to walk away. When he didn't move she wanted to make it abundantly clear that their exchange was over, "Please see yourself out."

All at once the air thickened as gravity itself weighed heavier on her being. Chell halted, breath caught in her chest. She didn't need to look at him to know that he was very, very angry. Instinctively she reached for a knife concealed back behind her belt and in a swift, brutal motion she was thrust against the wall. A large leather hand gripped her throat while the other mercilessly overpowered her wrist until she was forced to drop her weapon. Squirming in his grasp, she stared into his wild eyes. His demeanor had completely changed, as though he was overcome by rage and lust.

"Senator Niobe, so proud so… _stubborn_ ," he sneered, the grasp on her neck tightening. The hand that was at her wrist now desperately pawed at her side and his mouth grazed longingly over her jugular. "What makes you think I can't take what I want?" his words were feverish, breathless against her. "That I can't have you… _right_ now?"

She felt helpless, like putty in his hands. He reached for her skirt.

"Because you don't want this," she replied suddenly, desperately trying not to focus on the soft lips at her neck or the knee that snaked its way between her legs. The knight hesitated, though he still didn't remove himself from her. Chell swallowed, "Not-not like this, anyway." Her fingertips dug anxiously into the wall behind her, but there was still conviction in her voice. "I think if this was what you wanted you would have taken it already. You've had so many opportunities, why let me turn you away before?"

Based on steady his tone, he may have started to come down from the craze, "You don't think I will?" Perhaps he intended to sound menacing, but it seemed more like a genuine question than a threat.

Chell blinked up at the ceiling, "You can, sure. But, if you do it will be out of spite… neither of us want that."

Her words hung in the air for a time. Then, at long last, he pried himself from physical contact and simply stood before her. The madness in his eyes had dissipated, though his gaze was no less intense. It was now or never.

"I won't tolerate your advances anymore," she asserted. "Please don't come back. I… I don't want you to."

She had expected her words to anger him. Instead, he said nothing. Those dark, indecipherable eyes studied her and she felt vulnerably transparent in his aspect. Senator Niobe furrowed her brow and refused to yield to any more weakness.

"As you wish," he said at length.

Then a very slight, impish smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "But, for the record, senator…" With slow deliberation he leaned in once more and finished the thought softly and huskily against her ear.

" _I don't believe you._ "

Niobe froze in place, still stubborn in her resolve, yet not even realizing she forgot how to breathe. Her narrowed eyes followed his complacent ones as he pulled away for what should be the last time. As he left, his hand gestured to the helmet sitting on her desk and it, by some magic, obediently flew to his grasp. He didn't even stop walking to do so.

Once he was gone Niobe shivered visibly. She needed a stiff drink... and a very cold shower.


	17. Chapter 17 (NSFW)

**A/N:** Spoiler alert! Actual NSFW content ahead. Don't read it at work if you want to be safe.

With that said, this version has been watered down a little bit to conform with the site's somewhat vague 'M' guidelines. But, if you want to read a slightly grosser version of this chapter (or future chapters) you can find it on the a03 website (Archive of Our Own). I have the same username "Januarysixth" - same story title, _The Great Parnassus Compromise_. Otherwise it's all the same shit.

Enjoy, heathens.

* * *

Kylo Ren was in many ways despicable, but he remained a man of his word; after all, even harbingers of death needed to maintain some level of credibility. Respecting her wishes, he made no more unsolicited visits to Senator Niobe's apartment. This, however, did not stop him from wanting to, nor did it stop him from scheming ways he could get closer to her. More than once he impulsively considered kidnapping her and stealing her away to his hideout. Solid plan. Why not? It would be super easy. Begrudgingly, he'd dismiss the notion once he remembered it still didn't actually address the problem at hand; she stubbornly and irrefutably would not have him. Unfortunately, an abduction might not be the ticket to wooing her. An uncomfortable thought grated at the corners of his mind; Han Solo never would have had this much trouble.

He grimaced.

There were only two things Kylo Ren wanted in life; to find Luke Skywalker and fuck that senator. Technically three, he if included ruling the galaxy. He thought of this languidly to himself, was it all too much to ask?

A few agonizing days pass since their last meeting. It was now evening and the knight crossed over the steps of what was formerly known as the Imperial Palace (or Jedi Temple, depending on who you talk to). Since Coruscant was no longer the cradle of power within the galaxy, the building and its contents were reclaimed by local government and, to an extent, made available to the privileged public. The library database was still competitively the largest repository of knowledge known to civilization. Which is impressive, considering the amount of power turnover and censorship it endured over the last century. Scholars from all over still come and aid in its ongoing restoration. The archives there could suggest where the map to Skywalker had been relocated to. He had obviously checked the databanks many times before to no avail, but he wasn't here for that - He knew Senator Niobe would be there tonight. Alone.

When they last met in her apartment he agreed that he wouldn't return there, as in that specific location. At least that was one way he chose to interpret it. It would have been ridiculous for her to assume he would just hide from her forever, after all of that.

The library database was a grand, two storied edifice decorated mostly of marble. Great, luminous shelves, otherwise known as the 'stacks,' lined every wall in sight. It was stiffly quiet. There may have been a couple of scholars littered about, but the facility was mostly empty. Finding the senator wasn't difficult, her energy was distinct as it ever was. She was off in a secluded corner struggling to reach for a holobook. He stopped to regard her with wry amusement; even on her toes the shelf was located just beyond her grasp. It was strange, funny almost, to see her like this. A woman so competent and exacting yet thwarted by her own, limited height.

The senator's eyes widened when a familiar black leather hand came into view. Now close behind her, he reached over her and effortlessly retrieved the holobook, his other hand briefly resting at the small of her back.

"Sir," she exclaimed suddenly as she turned to face him. Surprise apparent, she was entirely apprehensive of him. After their last interaction, her concerns would not be unfounded.

The proper thing to do would have been to hand the holobook to her. Instead, he curiously scanned the front; its title read Deliberative Institutions as Mechanisms for Managing Social Unrest in the Mid Rim.

"…Light reading?" he mused.

When he looked up her eyes swiftly darted off to the side. She was… timid? More so she was irritated the holobook was being held hostage, but knew better than to try to snatch it out of his grasp. She internally grappled with her futility. There wasn't much she could do, was there?

With strained patience she asked, "May I have that, please? I need it." He had sensed she was already irked by something even before adding to her frustrations.

"Do you?" He considered her, almost shamelessly glancing over her. "I would have thought a senator, of all people, would have the manners to look at the person she's talking to."

Reluctantly she shifted her gaze to meet the void in his mask. He didn't look so much at her as he did through her. There was a certain nervousness about her he noticed only during their last few encounters, though she may have done her best to conceal it. Yet even when she was held captive on Hosnian Prime, even when she was tracked down and interrogated, she seemed much bolder then than she did now. As if death or bodily harm was easier to contend with than the possibility of being intimate. As if the idea of being intimate with him was more overwhelming than all of those things.

Senator Niobe shifted uncomfortably in the heavy silence, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Sir?"

Without more of a fuss he handed over her needlessly complex literature. "You were angry a moment ago," he pointed out. Ren may not have outwardly addressed what he was thinking, but he continued to analyze her. "What caused it?"

"Oh," she blinked, accepting the holobook; not expecting the observation. "I wasn't upset with you. At least not presently."

"I should hope not," his response dry and unimpressed. "But, that isn't what I asked."

Confused he would even be interested, she insisted dismissively, "It's nothing you would be troubled with, sir."

Though the mask remained motionless, his gaze inexplicably intensified. Niobe picked up on this, realizing he wouldn't be ecstatic if he had to ask yet again. She warily humored him. "But, if you must know… Senator Breiner and I had a disagreement today – the same one we normally do, I suppose."

He stared. Sensing a tangible dissatisfaction with her answer, she continued.

"We have major philosophical differences regarding integrity and the role we think a government should play for its citizens. Thinking about that made me angry."

"What sorts of differences?"

Niobe's brow twisted in skepticism. This already may have been their longest conversation without him actively trying to interrogate or fuck her.

Well, the latter was still actually true.

"For one," she started, despite knowing he would not share her sentiments. "I believe every sentient being, human and non-human alike, has an inherent right to freedom, dignity, and happiness. The purpose of a government is to serve its people and ensure that these principles are upheld. Senator Breiner, on the other hand, seems to think that this basic service should be awarded only to those who can afford it. As if being poor or needing help is a moral failing worthy of punishment."

The senator wasn't lying; she was getting angry. He found the sincerity of her outrage odd, but intriguing. The idea of genuinely caring for billions of ungrateful, entitled peasants sounded exhausting and in no way appealing. Yet, here was Senator Niobe; a bottomless well of energy willing to fight anyone for this ridiculous notion.

"Spoken like a true, naive idealist," he spat caustically. "Don't you know? Weakness is worthy of punishment."

Niobe visibly bristled. "Did you just come here to make fun of me?" She fumed, "Because the joke's on you. That sort of mindset crumbles empires from the ground up. But, if you don't want the First Order to last beyond two decades, then by all means - treat the populace like garbage. You will get what you give."

Ren's fists clenched at his sides.

Instantly she held her tongue, knowing full well that she shouldn't have said that. At the same time she wasn't sorry and would probably keep talking shit given the chance. She had to get out of there before her mouth got her into any more trouble.

"I'm… Excuse me-"

That's funny. She thought she could leave.

Not giving her the opportunity, his hand shot out and caught her upper arm. In a fluid motion he pushed her a few inches back into the stacks, closing more distance between them in the process. Indomitable, he wasn't going to simply let her dismiss him. Not again.

"We're not finished, _senator_ ," he seethed, as if his body language wasn't clear enough.

"I didn't realize you wanted more, _sir_."

Oho, his grip on her tightened. Those were fighting words. As much as he wanted to ravage her and her smart mouth, he was afraid she would insist on leaving. It might kill him, but he would let her go if that was truly what she wanted.

Fortunately, it wasn't.

The senator's cheeks were blazing again, her heart raced. Even now she liked being close to him, he could feel it, but she continued to deny any reconciliation with it. She was still angry, but flustered. This was how he preferred her; stubborn. It will only make her giving in that much sweeter for him. With his free hand, a leather thumb came up and delicately traced the edge of her bottom lip to her cheek. She gasped. If it weren't for the mask he wouldn't hesitate to taste her again.

Lost in his desire he voiced a realization. "You think of me," he purred, forgetting what they were talking about in the first place.

Subtle panic. "I think about a lot of things," she breathed inarticulately, trapped between not being able to lie and her own, self-inflicted resistance to divulge the truth. But, her desire was unmistakable to him now. Eyes closing, her head tilted to lean into the hand stroking her cheek.

He groaned internally.

Like with many things, Ren didn't think this one through. It was a mistake to see her here, in public, knowing how badly he wanted her. Provoking her, knowing her anger excited him. Inevitably, he wanted her now and so very badly. He wanted to take her against the luminescent stacks, to violently desecrate this four thousand year old Jedi Library and potentially appall any scholar who would hear them. The realness of the possibility struck him - And why not? There was no one nearby, he sensed no one coming. It was wicked and improper, but they could get away with it. They could definitely get away with it.

Without notice he made quick work of his helmet and it dropped to the marble floor with an inconsiderate thud. Yet before the metal even left his hands his mouth eagerly eclipsed hers, fervency fueled by her matched enthusiasm. Wrist at her neck, his fingers wrapped firmly around her nape, thumb pressed imperatively behind her ear. A moan fluttered from her throat, but was unapologetically muffled by his lips. Tossing aside the holobook, his palm traveled up and groped all the breast that he could over her robes. Tongue in her mouth, he felt drunk off the taste of her. Gods, he wanted to be inside her.

Of course on the cusp of having her, of course when she was practically melting under his touch, a breath away from utter surrender... She abruptly comes to her senses.

Lips pried apart. "Stop," she ordered after a gasp. "I-I don't-"

He halted, though every fiber of his being screamed to continue. "-want this?" His tone was dangerously cool. Rage and unbridled lust bubbled within him. He had seen into her mind; seen exactly what it was she wanted. Didn't she know it was already too late? "But, you do," he crooned, hypnotized by the idea of being on her again. "You want me to fuck you so hard you can't even think straight-"

 _SLAP_.

The harsh sound echoed against the marble.

They both reeled in their own surprise. Niobe was mortified at pretty much everything she's done the last couple minutes, but more so that her hit even landed. Ren had of course seen it coming, yet wasn't entirely sure why he didn't stop her. Was he so desperate for her touch that he'd accept it in any form? His cheek radiated; apparently he had his answer. He hardly recoiled, but the bite of it was stronger than he expected; the sting just as sweet. If the senator had hoped to deter him, she grossly miscalculated.

Sensing fear in her, he paused to consider it. It wasn't just his reaction she worried about, it was her own - and how she desperately wanted to let this to escalate.

It was time to change tactics.

With deliberate care took the hand that slapped him into his own. "When was the last time you did something because you wanted it?" Wide eyes flew up to meet his. She blinked at him, allowing her hand to remain hostage. "When was the last time you did something selfish?" He brushed her knuckles to his lips.

Breath hitched in her chest. Apparently he struck a chord.

Cheeks burning once again, she looked down as she expelled a positively overwhelmed sigh through her nose. Her brow furrowed, as if already judging herself for justifying what she really wanted to do.

Niobe chuckled despite herself, knowing how wholly fucked she was. "This is so stupid."

He grew tired of her doubts.

"Senator," he called to her. Gently, his index finger tilted her chin upwards. His gaze was now raw, pleading. He exhaled, aching to touch more of her. "Don't deny me any longer..." Leaning in he brushed his lips to her ear. "Let me give you what you want."

"But, you… Oh," she swooned, but was quickly struck by an indecent realization. " _Oh_." Scandalized (but intrigued) she turned her head to his and asked, "You want to do this _right now?_ Really? In the Coruscant Archives."

Without skipping a beat he quipped, "Well, since you brought it up..." Eyeing her expectantly, he bit his lip. "Do you think you can keep quiet?"

Yes, the nerve of him. No, he didn't have any shame. Against her better judgement, Niobe elicited a dumb nod of acknowledgement.

"Then that's good," he breathed, a haze overcoming him. "Lift up your skirt."

The senator hesitated at first, but ultimately reached down to shyly do as she was asked.

"This is not proper library decorum," she remarked quietly to herself hiking the fabric upwards, amazed she was doing this at all.

Ren stared in awe. All he could hear now was the blood pounding into his ears. Instantly his knee snaked between her legs and his hands impatiently delved beneath the material. Grabbing her ass he pulled her in for a devouring kiss, forcing her to straddle his thigh in the process. Her fingers ran across his chest and laced themselves into the fabric of his robes. Even through his gloves he could feel how deliciously soft she was. He groaned as he gave her cheeks an appreciatively hard squeeze. By the stars, she felt so good. Tasted so good. Eagerly he pressed as much of himself into her as he could. Slowly, she gyrated into the leather of his pants; her thin delicates the only barrier between them.

When they spoke their words were dazed and foggy in salacity. But, they kept their voices to a respectful volume. Because they were in a library.

"Tell me you want this."

" _I want this_."

"I didn't catch that." His tongue ran across her neck.

"Don't be a dick-" Without warning he sunk his teeth into her flesh. Not enough to harm her or break skin, but certainly enough for her to yield to his touch – and she did. A high pitched whine escaped her. "I _really_ want this," she gave.

A mostly respectful volume, anyway.

He took her mouth possessively into his own. One hand stayed under her skirt as his other quickly freed himself; each heartbeat a painful reminder that he wasn't yet inside of her. The moment it was out, he hastily seized her upper thighs and hoisted her hips level with his own, pinning her firmly to the bright, blue stacks. Legs wrapped graciously around him. It was so close now. Arms still anchored on him, she rolled her hips forward. A black leather hand moved from her thigh to tug aside final strip of fabric. Guiding himself by the tip he rubbed himself against her.

"Hurry," she panted.

She was already a little wet, but because someone was hasty, it might be rough to start. He didn't care. They didn't have the luxury of time for more foreplay. In theory some librarian could drop in at any second. More selfishly, the idea of delaying this even a second longer was too unbearable to consider. For Kylo Ren, this was a pivotal moment of life or death.

With a sigh he pushed in and she squirmed, struggling to suppress a whimper. Already it felt so hot, so good. He pushed in a little farther. It didn't help that she automatically tensed up on him. "Relax," he breathed, though he may as well be talking to himself. His hand back around to get a good grip of her ass, mirroring the hold on her other cheek. The temptation to thrust entirely into her was strong. But, as much as he wanted to ruin her, he preferred that she like it when he did. He worked into her slowly at first, but lost patience with each hastening inch. When he finally hit as far as his clothes and position would allow, he lingered there before attempting to jerk her hips even closer. The senator stifled a whine into her arm. Carefully he began to pull back out, finding it much easier to move in her now. " _Fuck_ ," he shuddered as he pulled. Not even halfway out and already he felt at risk of blowing it if he didn't focus.

When Ren pushed back in he pinned her more completely against the wall. At once he was grinding into her, her face buried into his neck and he became acutely aware of the feverish breath on his skin. The idea was to be quiet, but he swelled with an impish sense of pride whenever the slightest gasp or moan escaped her. In fact whenever he heard one, he'd give it to her harder. And harder. Forgoing any modicum of rational thought, he just wanted her to scream for him. To cum for him. Lost in the throes of desire, the senator began desperately reaching for nothing. Eventually one hand gripped into the fabric on his chest while her other palm hooked to a shelf just above her head. Though neither seemed to properly brace her for the orgasm that hit, writhing as it dragged mercilessly on for what might have been an eternity.

The moment he felt her climax start, he drew her hips from the wall for more leverage and ruthlessly rode through it – her upper back still braced to the glowing stacks. He didn't let up during or after; she got hers and now he was going to take what was his. Pace brutal, he fucked her like he hated her. In a way he did. He hated every stupid ideal she stood for. How she rejected him. How utterly obsessed he became with her – hell-bent on having her. She was the source of so much frustration. Now look at her; eyes half open, clinging to his chest, hating that she loved every second of this. Adrenaline rushed through him, driven wild by the unraveled state of her. If they were making far too much noise in this sacred, historical space, he couldn't hear it. Nothing else mattered. The rest of the universe seemed to fall from existence as the fire in his groin raged past a point of no return. Thrusting fervently, hitting the back of her, until- Blindsided by the intensity, his brain stuttered as he buried sharply into her, compelled by a senseless need to fill her completely. His accompanying groan was equal parts pain, pleasure, and surprise. Each subsequent wave after teetered off in intensity, but he continued to pulse deep inside of her until there was nothing left to give.

Madness dissipating, they hovered in their respective positions; panting, suspended in their own disbelief.

With the poison finally expelled from his body, the haze went with it. The resulting apathy left Ren physically and emotionally drained. Cold realization began gradually washing over him. Jarringly sober, he now saw with clarity how intoxicated he was to begin with. What in the world was he doing? He just aggressively fucked a galactic senator and desecrated the Imperial Archives. In fact, he was still inside of her.

Wincing, he slowly pulled out and silently set her down with care. Mind blank as a slate, his body shifted to auto-pilot. After tucking himself away he swooped down to retrieve his helmet. When he did, he picked up the holobook he tossed and handed it awkwardly back to her. Without more than a single glance, without a word, he left; reaffixing his helmet as he strode away.

Unable and unwilling to do anything else, the knight retreated back to his hideout below the surface. Once there, he stripped away his armor and most of his clothes. All judgements concerning what just transpired would be reserved for the following day.

For the first time in a very long time, Kylo Ren slept; uninterrupted and dreamless.

* * *

 **A/N:** I know what you're thinking, "Thank fucking god, **FINALLY** Kylo Ren gets some sleep." That guy is a nightmare when he's tired, am I right?


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Hiii. To whom it may concern, I've made a few minor edits to Chapter 17 since its release 5/04. Nothing crazy, just punched up the dialogue a bit and some other things here and there. I'm a little more pleased with it, but you're not missing out on any plot point changes.

* * *

Morning.

Chell, still barely awake, sat cross legged on her kitchen floor staring blearily into her coffee. With indolent exertion, she regarded the events of last night.

After wearing down Senator Breiner, she was finally granted unrestricted clearance to the Coruscant Archives – a sacrosanct temple literally thousands of years old. It was an honor worthy of dignity and respect. What did she do? What was the _first_ thing she did with this rare and privileged access? She fucked Kylo Ren in it.

Lazily, she pursed her lips.

 _Woops_.

In hindsight, that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. Nor was it the most dignified. This wasn't how it was supposed to go at all. She was supposed to stay strong, assert her dominance and send him away. What happened out there, Niobe? Even her coffee tasted like disappointment. She sipped regardless.

Hell of an orgasm though.

One thing Chell supposed she should be grateful for was the surprising amount of material in her skirt. After the wizard verily hit it and quit it, she was left with their (mostly his) ungodly mess. If it weren't for the excess fabric her already epic walk of shame back to 500 Republica would have been far more awkward – especially with a two man Stormtrooper entourage watching her every step. When she finally got back to the apartment she had been too tired to think. All she could do was throw the robe in the tub to soak before crawling into bed and passing out hard; overcome by the apparent sedative properties of dick. Another blessing, it was the first time in ages that she slept clear through the night.

Now here she is, brooding on her kitchen floor with nothing but her coffee, some deep shame, and a dull ache below her abdomen (which itself wasn't entirely unpleasant). In a way the whole ordeal was its own self-fulfilling prophecy. She had so adamantly forbid herself from getting involved that it actually made him more desirable. All the energy she spent resisting him violently backfired into sexual frustration and, well…

 _Ta-da._

Despite fucking up royally, she was oddly at peace with her bad choices. She would even go as far to say that shedidn't regret any of it. Maker willing no one would find out (or care to bring it up) and her library access would remain intact. Alas, he had gotten what he wanted - goodness knows she had gotten hers. It seemed only natural that this mutually concluded their clandestinewhatever-it-was. It wasn't likely he'd return; the man didn't even speak to her when the deed was done. Bewildered silence was not how she preferred to end things, but that's unimportant. There wasn't much thrill in sleeping with the same person twice, was there? He'd move onto a new conquest soon enough. It's fine. Chell Niobe was hardly one for romance or sentiment. Courtship was for people with time on their hands; time which neither she nor the wizard had.

At least this way she didn't have to worry about him intruding in on her life again. Not that she would rationally want to establish any kind of relationship with him; the man had more red flags than she had fingers to count.

Days pass into a week with no sign of hot grim reaper. She had no doubt that this was for the best. Fortunately there were, so far, no repercussions for her imprudent actions. There was plenty going on to keep her mind off of him. Between the endless demands of her position and the occasional, pleasant visits from Zelig, there was no time to think of the man in black. Certainly not. No time at all to think about that deep voice or those large, powerful hands… luscious lips she could suck on for days…

"Senator Niobe?"

"Hm?"

Chell came to and found herself sitting at a long table. She was in the middle of a modest assembly with six other senators; colleagues who traveled far from their respective planets for this very gathering.

Senator Moolis, a familiar face from Ithor, curiously voiced her concerns, "Senator Niobe, are you all right? Your response time is delayed. Did you have a concussion?"

Niobe cleared her throat. "What? No. I'm simply digesting the issues at hand. It's a lot to take in," she insisted, unfazed and seemingly unembarrassed. Was she drooling? A little bit. Shit.

"Ah, I see. Please share these deep insights with the committee, senator."

Again, there was no time to think about him. Though he had this nasty habit of creeping into her thoughts at inopportune moments.

Nebula would finally be arriving within the next couple of days – Chell had mixed feelings on the matter. As much as she craved the company of her closest friend, the universe has never known a harsher critic than Senator Starstrand.

She felt a pang of anxiety. 'Code 12' was not a conversation she looked forward to having.

* * *

Kylo Ren felt different.

Typically his default state could be described as murderous with undertones of untold misery. While that was all still true, it had been dialed back significantly in the days that followed the library incident. Particularly the next day he felt almost numb, empty. Now that the raging lust and anger had at least temporarily subsided, what was left? The long awaited triumph felt hollow. He had been so single-mindedly consumed by getting what he wanted that he hadn't even considered an afterwards. The knight wasn't sure how he expected to feel, if he indeed expected anything at all. Perhaps he assumed he would stop thinking about her altogether. That definitely wasn't the case; she still occupied his thoughts like an unwelcome guest. But, that foolishness was over with now. It had to be. Kylo Ren didn't have time to be chasing the skirts of senators.

The serenity, though short-lived, did not go unnoticed. After delivering some bad news, one Stormtrooper was stunned to leave the commander's presence without as much as a force choke. Though within a week he was nearly back to his regular, volatile self; impatience edging his every word. The fact that he still thought of her often was unsettling. Flashes of that night haunted him with increasing frequency - that unrelenting thirst was returning. It wasn't enough that he had sex with her once. He longed to touch her again, to feel anything aside from the desolation he has grown so accustomed to.

Was it wrong?

The Supreme Leader never strictly imposed a life of celibacy on his devout follower. If it was only sex, there was no technical reason to deny himself. Apart from this unfounded sense of general wrongness, there was nothing keeping him from her, no other rule he had to adhere to. Why not go to her? Doubt suddenly ebbed his resolve; would she even want to? Their last encounter ended inconclusively thanks in no small part to his abrupt exit. If she never wanted to see him again he couldn't exactly blame her. But, he wasn't about to keep himself from her for any longer than he had to. Especially not because of wild speculation.

Perhaps that night he could find out for sure.

"Ah, Ren. It's _good_ to see you," Breiner greeted, uncomfortably surprised.

Late afternoon, Kylo Ren arrived at the Coruscant Senator's office unannounced. He needed terminal access in yet another information storage facility he discovered. Pity he can't just run his lightsaber through screens to get information he needed – he's tried.

Upon informing Breiner of the situation he assured, "I'll have the boy upload the clearance onto a passkey for you." He added breezily, "Senator Niobe should be arriving any minute now."

Tense, uninterested silence.

Breiner looked at his watch, his brow furrowed in concern.

Ren's head tilted ever so slightly. "Is there a problem, senator?"

"Not at all." Vand glanced up with a tight smile. "Her three o'clock must be running late..." He called for his nephew, "Zelig."

Within a moment Vand's nephew was at the door, datapad in hand. "Sir?"

"Please get Commander Ren a passkey for terminal location R6-871."

"R6-871," the boy repeated. "Yes, sir."

Before letting him go Breiner asked, "Can you tell me if Senator Niobe still conferencing with the Halcyon interest group?"

"It looks like…" Zelig started swiping across the screen. When he stopped, his face contorted into thoughtful confusion. "…she was never on the call in the first place. That's odd - when I try to buzz into her datapad I'm automatically redirected to messages."

"Never on the…" Breiner blinked before snipping at his nephew. "Well don't just stand there, boy. Fetch the passkey for your commander."

Uncertain, Zelig swiftly bowed out. With a grimace Breiner rhetorically observed, "Thought she only did that when she went to sleep." He spoke clearly into the device on his wrist, "DT-6704. Kindly escort Senator Niobe to my office. Wake her, if you must."

Something didn't feel right.

A few moments pass and Stormtrooper's hesitant voice hissed from the tiny device to confirm what Ren already suspected - rage ran thick through his blood.

She was gone.


	19. Chapter 19

"What do you mean she's _not in her room?_ " Breiner was exasperated in disbelief. "You're head of her security team! How can you say she might not even be in the build-"

With slow, ominous strain, Kylo Ren turned his head in the man's direction.

" _Senator_."

Vand Breiner froze, practically quivering in his boots. Nothing good ever came from that look. Or that tone. This was the last thing one saw right before they were force-choked.

"Now, Ren, I-I'm sure she can't be far-"

The knight's hand flung violently forward. Breiner's neck was summoned instantly into his vicelike grip.

"You _lost_ the emissary?" he erupted.

Gasping and choking, toes scraping the ground, Breiner was unable to answer the cruelly rhetorical question. "Do you even know how long she's been gone? Where she could _be_?"

Helpless gargling.

" _You let her escape_."

More helpless gargling.

"I should _kill_ you for your incompetence."

"Sir..."

A small voice came from the doorway. The boy returned to the scene with the audacity to address Kylo Ren in such a state. A bold and precarious decision, considering his uncle's neck could snap on a whim. Still suspending Breiner in the air, Ren diverted his gaze to the boy.

Now that he had the most dangerous man in the galaxy's attention, Zelig anxiously continued, "S-Senator Niobe's last known activity was 3:16 this morning, when she switched her datapad into sleep mode."

There's a start. Breiner was unceremoniously released; staggering back to the ground he struggled to catch his breath. In two quick strides Ren retrieved the now ready passkey from the boy, though the terminal would have to wait. It's very possible Zelig saved his uncle a trip to the infirmary. Or the morgue.

Clearing his throat and attempting to salvage any dignity he had left, Breiner interjected, "I'll notify the chief of police. Our men will begin a search at once."

Leave the task to dirty Coruscant cops and General Hux's _finest_? Tempting, but he'd prefer to track down Senator Niobe before she became an old woman.

Storming out he growled, "I will find her myself."

The knight boiled as he wasted no time getting down to her apartment. How dare she leave? How _dare_ she attempt to deceive them again? Did she think, because he liked touching her, he would let her get away with this? Did she think him so daft that he wouldn't notice? He racked his brain for an explanation, but none of it made any sense. Objectively, there was no reason for her to abandon her post; there's just no motive. She believed in the work she was doing for the First Order, it even served her own personal interests to do so. Bottom line, it didn't seem in her character to up and leave. Senator Niobe, though at times senselessly passionate, was a practical and cunning woman - If she intended on returning, no one would have noticed her gone in the first place. This was far too sloppy to be her doing.

Unless that was her goal; to leave and never return. If that was the case, it may well be because of him. Back in the archives, was he so possessed by taking what he wanted that he hadn't noticed he hurt her? Did she now resent him? Perhaps she felt nothing from their exchange at all. Perhaps Hux was right about her and she defected to join the Resistance.

He grimaced.

Whatever the reason, her treachery had to be punished; the senator would not be able to bewitch him otherwise.

As angry as he was determined to be, none of this seemed quite right; he knew it didn't. A strong sense of foreboding twisted in his gut.

The door to her apartment was already open by the time he arrived. Half a dozen Stormtroopers were milling in and out, aimlessly searching for they didn't even know what. These imbeciles were even overturning sofa cushions. What more could one expect from the general's best and brightest? To be fair, he didn't know exactly what he was looking for either.

" _Get out_."

The soldiers hastily made themselves scarce.

Apart from the handful of morons that started to rummage through the place, nothing appeared stark out of the ordinary. Though it was over twelve hours ago, Niobe's last known activity was switching her datapad into standby mode. Now knowing this was the last thing she did before sleep, he started in the bedroom.

That foreboding pit in his stomach sank deeper; he knew what happened before he cared to admit it.

It was difficult to perceive, but there were fresh tracks in the carpet. Most of which were far too big to belong to the senator - nor did they belong to Stormtroopers; regulation boots left a different sort of imprint. Walking around the edge of the room he observed the patterns and a story unfolded before him.

The footprints left a scattered trail inwards.

 _Three individuals came to her in the night._

Sheets were cast off to the side in a single, sweeping direction.

 _She was pulled from her bed as she slept._

Walking farther in he was able to see the other side of room. The edge of her alarm clock, cast to the floor, had the edge spattered lightly with blood.

 _When they seized her she grabbed the blunt object and struck one of them hard across the face._

This was where the trail got messier.

 _Incensed, they hit her back and a scuffle ensued. She fell to the floor._

Kylo Ren crouched to inspect an apparently deliberate imprint in the carpet.

 _Before they could do anything else, Niobe scribbled a hurried 'Z' into the fibers._

Perhaps she tried scrawl something more, but was abruptly pulled away. Why wouldn't they smear the letter? It would have been dark, her captors may not have realized how visible their tracks would be in the light. Below the 'Z' there were two sets of streaky parallel lines roughly shoulder width apart. They were a couple yards long until they vanished into more footprints.

 _Her fingertips scraped into the carpet as they dragged her backwards by her legs. Finally getting a firm grip on her, they picked her up and disappeared out the door; their abduction complete._

The trail then went cold.

Grappling with the realization, the knight's chest heaved. She didn't leave him at all, she was taken. She was taken right from under their very noses.

Unable to afford another rational thought, the crossguard ignited violently in his hand. Each erratic swing was a different revelation he couldn't cope with, screaming through the modulator as he did. She warned him about this. _**Slash**_. She warned them all against disarming her. _**Slash**_. There were people who despised her work. _**Slash**_. And now she's been taken from him. _**Slash**_. She's gone and he only has himself to blame. _**Slash**_. He has no idea how to even find her, assuming she's still on planet. _**Slash.**_ Assuming she's still alive at all.

The savage flurry continued.

Nearly a solid minute went by before the tantrum subsided. When everything was said and done he had laid waste to a poor, antique armchair. The wall beside him was smoking with innumerable, ember scars. Ren may have finished finished swinging, but he was still fuming. At least reason began to trickle back into his thought process. Coming down from the fit he removed himself from the bedroom marched over to her desk, lost in speculation.

It's obvious now that the senator was abducted. What's more disturbing is that someone was able to do it in the first place. Whoever these people were, they were able to bypass 500 Republica's advanced security measures, steal a resident, and slip away entirely unnoticed. This was no small feat. His first instinct was to point a finger at the Resistance, but he sensed this wasn't the case. Why exert so much effort into taking Niobe when Breiner would have been the more strategic choice? No. This must have been the work of someone, or some organization, who was not fond of the senator's radical activism. But, how was he supposed to drum up suspects if he knew next to nothing about her enemies?

On her desk, an insignificant trinket caught his eye. Curiously he scooped up a pack of matches and inspected the logo – _Maude's Noodle Hut_ _(Located in District G17)._ Based on the unsavory location, this restaurant must have been where she was the day he caught her out and about, disguised as some Zabrak vagrant. It was so painfully obvious, how did he not think of it sooner? She had a plethora of on planet contacts. If anyone knew who could have taken her, it had to be one of these allies.

The promotional matches were crushed suddenly in his large, leather fist. He knew where he had to go, exactly what he had to do. With purpose he left the building, passersby anxious to steer clear of his warpath. Once outside he mounted his speeder and rode tenaciously for the closest portal; one of many massive ventilation shafts leading directly into the desolate depths of the planet.

Resolute, he began his descent into the Coruscant Underworld.

* * *

 **A/N:** If Kylo Ren is thirsty, I'd advise not getting in the way of that. You know?


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Heads up to the squeamish, gratuitous violence happens. I wouldn't consider it insanely graphic, but conceptually yeah it gets kinda gross. Enjoy!

* * *

Below the surface lurked a dystopic, sunless world. Day and night were replaced by the perpetual glow of neon signs and its stale, polluted air had barely circulated for thousands of years. As a result, the underground horizon was clouded by a questionable, green haze.

He was getting close.

Dismounting his speeder, Kylo Ren moved with unassailable purpose through the grody slum block. Dubious vapors escaped from vents in the street. Vagrants wisely averted their eyes as he passed, avoiding confrontation they'd otherwise pursue. Even prostitutes refrained from whistling at him. They had all lived long enough to recognize (and not fuck with) a man who clearly radiated raw, murderous intent.

Maude's Noodle Hut was closed when he arrived. Facing no obstacle, the locked door flew open at his whim.

Ren knew precisely who he had to look for. Recalling the contact from the senator's memories, he had to find a 'generous man, larger than life itself.' Without losing momentum he barged into what appeared to be a dreary backroom office. A big, familiar human had been counting credits at a desk. Jolting at the sudden intrusion, he instinctively dove for his blaster. Ren gave him no such opportunity, however. With a flinging gesture the contact was hurled against the wall. While pinned there, Ren continued his approach.

Strange.

Now that Ren had a brief moment to study him, he was not quite what he expected. Niobe's underworld contact was burly in a way that may not have been purely human, but he had pictured the man to be giant. In truth he was no taller than himself. And eyes that Ren recalled were kind had morphed into those of an uninhibited killer. This was the right person, make no mistake. As per the senator's memories, he had that same, thick mustache and his arms were sleeved with gang affiliated ink.

Ren sneered. This was no great man, but a lowlife. Nothing more than a common thug. Funny how her perception altered his expectations. She might be more naive than he originally thought.

"I'm looking for Senator Niobe." Hand hovering inches from the man's face, Ren pried into his mind. "Perhaps you know where she is." His detached tone was tempered with irascible promise.

The lowlife hesitated, but said nothing. In an instant the air grew heavier.

"Where... is she?"

This man was aware of who he referred to, that much was certain. But, it was not the name he commonly knew her by - the results were scattered, unclear. Ren caught glimpses of the woman he sought, but only barely. This was not the First Order or the Galactic Senate, she assumed a different identity depending on the context. He would have to use her proper name.

"Where's Justice?"

This triggered a number of fleeting, far more distinct memories. How peculiar it was to see her in a drab jumpsuit, among a sea of others wearing the same. Was she incarcerated at some point in her life? She must have been. Apparently this was how she and the contact first met; organizing a prison riot. Despite a constant backdrop of violence, he sensed a harbored fondness towards her. Warmth, acceptance - concepts now foreign to the man in black. Through the convict's eyes, he saw Niobe look up at him with a softness he had personally never received from her. He wasn't even aware that was a face she could make. The crook cared for her and, for whatever reason, it appeared mutual.

In a spark of umbrage, Ren flicked his wrist upwards and the man's head slammed back into the wall.

Realization gripped the thug as he hissed through gritted teeth. " _The wizard…_ "

Oh, so she's mentioned him.

Straining under the immense pressure, the contact still managed to spit out a thoughtfully articulate response. "Fuck… you..."

Ren was losing patience he didn't even know he had. "Those are your last words? I'm not surprised."

An assertive croak permeated the room. "Get away from my son, asshole."

Still suspending the contact, Ren swiftly turned to find a frail yet scrappy old woman standing in the doorframe. The souped up rifle she wielded was far too large for her wispy stature. He had almost considered her a viable threat until he took a closer look.

A low, mirthless laugh escaped the modulator.

Dull, pearly cataracts plagued both of the woman's eyes. Ren was amazed she even managed to face the right direction.

The hag, who he presumed was Maude, intensified her aim. "I said 'get away from my son, asshole.' Or I'll put a hole in your fucking chest." Perhaps she had every intention of doing so, though he sensed a valid hesitation.

"I'll take my chances, your son is a wider target."

Kylo Ren couldn't resist being a dick sometimes/most times, it was basically in his blood. But, this strategy was getting him nowhere. The clock was ticking. It was clear from the start these people had no direct involvement with Niobe's abduction, but they were still his best chance he had at finding her. It was time to stop messing around.

With one hand still raised at the contact, the other ominously rose in his mother's direction. The son writhed futilely, growling some vague and pointless threat. Maude herself didn't have time to react. Rotating a tense yet fluid gesture, an invisible force slowly twisted the barrel of her rifle – creaking as it did. Alarmed by the sudden witchcraft, Maude very nearly dropped her weapon. Breathlessly she grasped at the deformed metal, unable to believe her failing eyes.

"I digress. Let's talk."

Cautiously, Ren set the man back on the ground, though he didn't entirely relinquish the hold - not until it was certain he wouldn't attack.

Keeping an eye on them both, Ren curtly briefed them on the situation.

Upon hearing this, there was a dramatic shift in the contact's murderous disposition. Furious eyes quickly blinked into wide concern.

Maude scoffed, the ruined weapon drooping at her side. "Never let her have a fucking blaster, right? She said something like this might happen."

Out of all the times Ren didn't want to be reminded Niobe was right...

Suppressing most of his exasperation, the knight pressed on. "She deliberately scrawled something into the carpet - a High Galactic ' _Z_.' This was the only clue she intentionally left behind. Who is she alluding to?"

"Of her enemies?" The man, now completely released, cleared his throat. "On planet there's Zephyn, Zoot, Zip Thing, Nasty Zord-" The list of names continued, all bottom-feeding scum from the sounds of it. All dead ends.

Irritated twitch. "I'll clarify - which of them would have the resources to abduct a senator?"

Maude pursed her lips before stating the answer with finality. "Zann Consortium."

 _Of course_ , he thought, suddenly absent in recollection. Weeks ago when he caught Senator Niobe sneaking back from one of her escapades, she mentioned interrupting a Consortium slaver operation. Based on the timing, her abduction is their retaliation.

"Where?"

The contact answered this time, "They've got a base on planet, way down on level thirteen-thirteen. One of their entrances is probably at the corner of 612 and Quad Spector. I don't know how you'd get in, but there's an old hostel where members are often spotted entering and exiting. Start there."

Maude stepped aside to let the large, black mass stride through the doorway. "Oh? And what are you going to do when you get there, _knock_?"

"Perhaps."

The man called to him, "Wizard."

Ren stopped, turning just enough to catch the small trinket that was tossed to him. It was a data drive.

"When you find Justice, give her that. If you're going where I think you are, she'll need it. And..." Compelled by pointless sentiment he added, "Get her back, alright? The galaxy would be a... a dark place without her."

The knight tensed as annoyance spiked uncomfortably through him. This was not an altruistic mission by any stretch. Sure, from what he's heard, the senator was becoming a valuable asset to the First Order. Yet he didn't fool himself into believing that was his primary motivation. Kylo Ren wasn't about to raise hell for just any fat, old politician. He only wanted her for himself - no other reason mattered.

Unclear of its purpose, he had half a mind to crush the worthless drive and sprinkle its dust on the tile. Despite this urge he pocketed the device before storming out. He wasn't entirely out of earshot when he heard Maude yell to _give her a fucking gun already._

Robes billowing, Kylo Ren plunged deeper into the planet, speeding towards the corner of 612th and Quad Spector. Even by the undercity's deplorable standards, Coruscant level 1313 was the cesspool of organized crime. Passing by several "higher end" clubs, Ren disengaged his speeder in front of the mangy old hostel described to him. Once inside, he discovered a service desk and a grubby bar area littered with gangsters of varying species.

Conversations ceased. All eyes were drawn to the dark, eerily still stranger now looming in the doorway. In that quiet - he felt it. It was faint, nothing more than a flicker, but he felt it.

She was here.

The patrons didn't like that this stranger suddenly made a beeline for their front desk manager. Several came at him with mediocre melee weapons. Before they could swing, the red crossguard screamed to life and tore them down. This freaked out the remaining patrons. Some had ducked for cover, others tried to run, but none were safe - and no one could leave. The knight reached back to seal the entrance shut. His sights turned to the bar where they had an impressively large collection of spirits. With some effort he reached for the tall shelving, using his will to topple it and utterly crush the Consortium members taking cover below with exploding glass and metal.

Stalking through the wreckage, Ren approached the man that had been standing at the front desk; whose legs were now pinned under the collapsed bar. Unluckily for him, he was still conscious. Crouching down, the knight's hand twitched as he ripped callously through the man's thoughts. Apparently entry into the base required fingerprints; this man's fingerprints.

Not a problem.

Slapping the freshly severed hand against the appropriate keypad, a panel on the back wall began to shift.

The following minutes were a blur. As Ren descended into the hidden base, Consortium members sprang into action. The first among them were thrown to the other side of the room, shattering an enormous glass console in the center. After slicing through two more of them like paper, the others fired from a distance. That would prove ineffective. With a spin he avoided a couple of shots, deflected others with the crossguard, and closed the distance on another aggressor; ending his life with a flourish. A defense turret emerged from the ceiling. With a sweeping gesture, the relentless spray was turned against the next oncoming wave of Consortium scum. Bodies piled in that doorway and all around the room.

A maelstrom of destruction, he laid waste to everyone and everything in his path. Through the chaos, he never once strayed from his purpose. He drew closer. Brutally clearing room after room he finally got to the last and-

There she was.

He wasn't sure how he expected to find Senator Niobe; perhaps in chains, vulnerable and eager to be rescued, _pleased_ to see him. In hindsight this was a silly notion. Especially when, in reality, she had a blaster trained square at his chest.

The knight paused in the threshold; his breath uneven from the slaughter, saber radiating in his grasp.

The senator, drenched with water from the torso up, face beaten from interrogation, did not yield. She too was poised with her weapon, unblinking and unnervingly still.

It seems she had taken a defensive stance behind the interrogation chair. Seeing as every target had to enter through a single choke point, it's possible she could have held the room for some time. But, unless she was able to move on, she would have been overwhelmed eventually.

There were two dead Consortium members present, apparently she had already starting defending her position. One body was draped over the chair, reinforcing her defense with an extra layer of meat. The other sprawled inelegantly on the ground, also soaking from the torso up. Though the cause of death probably had less to do with drowning and more to do with an unpleasantly large syringe stabbed into his eye socket. Injected to the hilt, it appears the contents were emptied entirely into his brain.

Ren looked back at the woman he was supposed to be rescuing.

There was an odd sort of tension as they surveyed one another. Why hadn't she lowered her weapon yet? Despite what she may have endured here, she didn't seem delirious. In fact, there was an unwavering focus in her aim, in her entire being. She knew exactly where that barrel was pointed. It occurred to him that this was their first encounter since the 'library incident.' Did she truly resent him this much? Then again he too still had his weapon drawn - and she was probably, rightfully, hesitant to regard him as a friendly entity. It wasn't so long ago that, on Hosnian Prime, he was the one capturing her for an ironically similar purpose.

Taking the initiative, Ren deactivated his lightsaber and returned it to his belt. It's not like he would need it to subdue her. Besides, he had no qualms bringing her back by force if she foolishly refused cooperate. Luckily, the senator was not a fool.

Niobe simultaneously followed suit, lowering the blaster and stepping out from behind the chair. Reflexively his eyes trailed over her. Barefoot, she wore only a slip of a silky garment; its dusty rose color now smudged with blood and grime. Ever since they first met, she's always been covered neck to toe in some sort of fabric. Without it all he had to admit, she looked stronger than he expected.

The senator briefly lowered her guard. Muttering a curse she composed herself, rolling her neck and rubbing into a potential shoulder injury.

" _Oh_ ," she winced, kneading into the muscle. "Didn't think I'd see you here."

Ren didn't articulate a response. Barely coming down from his post-battle high, more than anything he ached to taste the sweat on her skin, to peel off her panties and fuck what was his into the ground. Given the present circumstance, however, it wasn't likely she'd respond well to such a thing. Anchored by precarious restraint, his eyes continued to map the skin he'd never seen before. Shame. He'd revisit the option when she's had a chance to heal.

In the meantime she would be allowed a second to recuperate. She appeared more or less fine, but adrenaline could be deceiving.

The knight made a flat observation. "You're alive."

"Yup."

"Are you... alright?" he asked, too unsympathetically stoic to be construed as legitimate concern.

Incredulous, narrowed eyes met his gaze. Amazed at his query she replied, "Oh, I'm great. How are you?" – perhaps a little too aggressive for his liking. Gods, shame on him for wondering how urgently she may have needed a medic.

The moment was interrupted by the sudden spasming of a body – the one with the needle in his eye. Though not quite dead, it would seem. Kylo unflinchingly moved forward to end him, but was stopped.

"Don't."

Her stiff, focused gaze dropped to the convulsing Consortium member; foam frothing at the corners of his mouth.

"Death would be a kindness. Just leave him."

To be a vegetable? "That is... unexpected, coming from you." Ren regarded the benevolent senator with skepticism and tilted his head. "Whatever happened to 'freedom, dignity, and happiness'?"

" _Fuck_ that guy."

Well, fair enough.

They lapsed back into a brief silence as he considered her.

Nodding towards the door she suggested, "We should get going."

How long had they kept her here? Based her wounds and strained demeanor, she had been thoroughly questioned. Her damp, matted hair was pulled up behind her. Fresh blood gradually reemerged from the repeatedly washed cuts.

"Sir?" she asked, growing uneasy by his unresponsive silence.

The Consortium would have nearly drowned her for who knows how many times by now. She was a sharp woman, Kylo Ren wondered what sort of sensitive First Order information she may have acquired during her short employment. What sorts of secrets could she have divulged? If any of their operations had been compromised, it was his business to know.

Without warning he was upon her, one hand outstretched as she stumbled back against the metal water basin. She tried to resist, but it was no use. His other hand confiscated the blaster and set it on a tray in a single, fluid motion.

She knew what was happening, but was even more powerless than usual to stop it. The leather grip that braced her neck was mostly to keep her in place and from falling over. Her fingers wrapped around his forearm in a feeble attempt to pull him away. "N-no" - the only word that escaped her lips before he entered her mind.

The knight fast forwarded through her entire experience, starting from the moment they woke her. What he suspected transpired in her room was accurate. Apparently her captors had been disguised as Republica laundry personnel. They must have knocked her out because her memory leapt from the floor of her room to a cell on base. While captive, she was subjected to an array of brutish mistreatment. Ren felt a grim satisfaction knowing that all who put their hands on her were now dead. Zann Consortium interrogation methods were crude by First Order standards, though could be effective. Despite their painfully primitive efforts, she gave them nothing. Through the drowning, prodding, hitting, and threats of dismemberment she held her silence. Not a word was spoken of her abolitionist network, the First Order, or anything else of value really. She was never tempted by their false promises to stop. Her resolve never wavered.

Technically Ren had all the information he needed at this point, but he couldn't deny how much more he wanted from her; to see how she incapacitated two Consortium thugs, to see how she possibly planned to escape... to see if she had thought of him this past week, if she hated him. Greedily he pushed deeper into her thoughts, driven to consume all that he could. It felt so good, for him that is, to take whatever he wanted. It even aroused him to see her so vulnerable, so entirely at his mercy. She was too proud to beg him and yet – a pathetic whimper escaped her throat. Though weakened, she still struggled to push him out. Every moment the connection was open caused her pain.

Perhaps this was a poor way to reward her loyalty to the First Order.

At last he released his hold on her. Weary, Niobe stumbled and caught herself on the wall next to them. Stubborn to be angry with him, she tried to not act too surprised when her blaster was handed calmly back to her. Nor react to what he said next.

"You did well," he offered, aloof as ever, while the weapon left his grasp. "Many would have broken had they endured the same."

She pursed her lips and refused to look at him, but they were already long overdue to depart. Ren moved to collect the senator and sweep her up off her feet, like it was a normal thing to do.

" _Don't touch me_." There was venom in her words.

Exasperated and stung by her reaction, he yielded. He half-expected this ungrateful contempt, but what did she want from him? He was trying to return her to the Senate District. It was nice that she barely had energy to stand, yet could somehow be miraculously ornery with him. She was never this combative when he picked her up before – oh. That's probably because he always knocked her out first. Come to think of it, she may not even be aware she was ever carried by him. Would he have to again? He would if necessary, but he preferred not to.

Blaster in hand, she moved to the exit with every intention of seeing herself out.

"There's glass," he warned dispassionately.

As soon as his words left the modulator, Niobe instantly retracted her bare foot. She actually came pretty close to impaling herself on the glass shards that littered the hall. "What the…" she huffed at the mess.

The senator didn't have boots or any sort of protective wear. It was the whole reason he attempted to carry her out in the first place.

Optimistically she glanced back at the feet of the men she incapacitated – but, their shoes were much too large for her to wear.

She grimaced.

Swallowing a morsel of pride with a slow intake of breath, she looked back at the knight.

Salty he was refused the first time, Ren entertained the idea of letting her traverse the ruins on her own. Yes, he was normally that petty. But, the notion brought him no satisfaction. In wordless understanding, he moved forward once more to easily pluck her from the ground. Mindful not to point the barrel of the blaster directly at him, she hesitantly draped her arms over his shoulder and neck for support.

Debris crunched under his boots as he carried her through the facility. Niobe silently observed the havoc he must have singlehandedly created. The whole place had been overturned. Her eyes followed a fluorescent ceiling light dangling by a wire - it flickered several times before snapping unceremoniously to the ground. Sparks and smoke emitted from a partially melted, twitching turret. Hot plasma scars still scorched the walls. Most notable of all, bodies upon bodies decorated the space; any number of which were cleaved in twain.

Kylo Ren regarded his handiwork along with her. This wasn't the first site he's wholly annihilated and it certainly won't be his last. In truth, he's done worse for less.

Clearing her throat, Niobe continued to survey the wreckage. "I don't suppose you killed a one eared man did you? Slippery little creep. A man about… yea high?" One of her hands left his neck to indicate his height.

The knight's head tilted in thought. Honestly, he had wiped out the base so quickly and so indiscriminately that he wasn't sure if he'd know. But, the description did ring a bell. Now that he considered it, there may be at least one other life force still present on the base. Halting his gait, he paused for a moment before heading in the signature's direction. It brought them to a terminal room he had already cleared.

Now in the absence of shattered glass, he set Niobe back on the ground. Apart from themselves and a few corpses, the room appeared empty. That was until Ren force ripped a cabinet door off its hinges to reveal a small man quivering inside.

How fortunate they should find this one-eared individual cowering beneath a countertop. Gripped by invisible hands he was dragged from his hiding place. Scrambling to sit up, he slid back as far as the counter would allow. Eyes darted back and forth between the towering man in black and the woman in a bloody negligee, unsure of who he currently feared more.

Kylo Ren recognized him as one of the disguised men who abducted her. Though, it appears he and Justice knew each other long before.

"Tick," Niobe greeted coolly. "It is so _nice_ to see you again. Alive."

Tick shuddered as she merely crouched beside him. If the lowlife could see up the slip of her dress, she didn't seem to care. He too seemed rightfully more concerned with the imminent threat of bodily harm. It was clear she intended to do something. Eager as Ren was to return her to 500 Republica, it's not as though they had a curfew. If there was an objective she hoped to accomplish here, he would allow it. Besides, he was somewhat curious to see what she'd do.

So far she said nothing. She hadn't even touched him and the little man was already shaking. "J-J-Justice! Have mercy. I'll give you whatever you want. Anything, please, just-just…" The more he rambled, the more desperate he became.

She looked him over with an almost passive expression, the blaster in hand draped lazily over her thigh.

"I like your boots," she stated simply. "Give them to me."

Confused, but unquestioning, Tick obeyed and squirmed to get them off his rather dainty feet – as if she might actually be willing to settle for a pair of boots over his life. Wide-eyed, he stared at her with bated breath.

"Got any credits?"

The man could scarcely reach into his pocket fast enough and produce a small pouch of chips, trembling as he handed it to her.

After a deliberate pause she added, "On second thought, I'll take the jacket too."

Incoherent pleas left his mouth in whispers as he put the money back in his pocket and gave her that as well. Rising, she slipped on both the boots and the worn leather garment.

"Oh, Tick," she sighed, tucking away the blaster inside a holster built into the jacket lining. "I'm not going to kill you. There's something I want you to do."

Through bleary eyes the man blinked up at her, astonished that he may actually leave here alive. He was, however, dreading the catch as she knelt back down to his level and looked him dead in the eye.

"I want you to give the Consortium a firsthand account of what happened here. They need to know that this is only the beginning of the end – that I won't rest until every cell of your organization, every pathetic member, is reduced to ash. I want them to thank you personally, knowing that you're the one to blame for their inevitable destruction. More importantly, I want everyone to know _exactly_ what happens when they _fuck_ with me. Can you do that, Tick?" She forcefully gripped his jaw and pulled him forward, pinching his cheeks and scrunching his lips. "Can you do that for me?"

Color drained from Tick's mushed face as he answered her with rapid nods. Depending on how the Consortium receives him, a swift death here might have been the more compassionate alternative.

"Good lad." Apparently satisfied, she released his face.

For a moment it seemed that Niobe was finished and she rose to leave. As soon as Tick allowed himself to feel a semblance of relief, however, she stopped.

"Oh…" She thoughtfully retrieved a sharp knife from one of the dead. "There is _one_ more thing."

Tick panicked, apparently aware of what was about to happen. "No!" Touching his remaining ear he sputtered, "Oh gods, Justice. Not the other one, not the other one _please_ -"

"Fight me and I'll take your thumbs, Tick."

It was brutal, but over quickly. Overpowering him she took what she wanted to two savage whacks. Now standing at the counter, lightly splattered in his blood, she wrapped her trophy in a piece of cloth. The man writhed pathetically on the ground, clutching the gushing hole in his head. He was making more of a racket than anyone cared to listen to. The knight lifted his hand and willed the noisy man into unconsciousness.

"You don't think that was too much, do you?" Niobe asked with casual indecisiveness.

Ren sensed the rhetorical nature of her question and said nothing.

Slipping the folded cloth into her pocket she assured the man in black, "I don't really do that whole 'cropping' thing anymore. Definitely not since I became a senator. But, the last time I saw him I was seventeen, I was angry… I bit off his ear and told him I'd take the other one if I ever saw him again." As if biting off an ear was a normal thing for an emotional seventeen year old to do. "It's not what I do anymore, but I can't just go back on my word, right?"

Beneath the void in his helmet, Kylo Ren raised a brow. Honestly, he wasn't sure why she was defending herself to _him_ \- Like he didn't just wantonly massacre an entire gang operation. He could relate to making good on his threats, however. The hardest part may have been keeping track of every one that he's made.

"Right."

"He'll make it back to the Consortium," she explained, though he couldn't care less for the man's fate. "I anticipate the undercity police will pick him up, but they're easily bribed. They'll treat his ear hole. He'll be out in a few days' time."

Making her way over to one of the still functioning terminals, the senator clicked her tongue as her eyes raked over the screen. Searching around the desk she lamented, "I wish I had my datapad or something. There's so much dirt on here I need to retrieve before they have the sense to wipe it remotely- Oh."

She blinked at the data drive that was conjured suddenly before her.

Hesitantly she accepted the exact thing she needed from her companion's large, leather hand. "Thank you?" Suspicious eyes wandered up the knight from his glove to his arm to his helmet, unsure of what to make of him. "How did you…? You know what, never mind. Let me pull this data so we can get the fuck out of here."

Plugging the drive into the console, it didn't take long for her to extract the valuable information she needed. Soon enough they were exiting the base together. Entering the hostel first, Ren turned and gave the senator a hand as she crossed over the narrow threshold of the hidden entryway. Passing by the toppled bar area, countless shattered liquor bottles, and even more mangled bodies – Niobe breathed yet another _what the fuck_ …

Finally they arrived at his speeder. A local urchin had been poking around that sweet ride, searching for any loose valuables to swipe. Discovering that the imposing owner had returned, he quickly backed away with his palms up; indicating he hadn't taken anything. The urchin was of no consequence and Ren mounted his bike without acknowledgment. Niobe tossed her bag of credits to the boy who beamed before swiftly disappearing into an alley.

As she climbed on, an odd sensation of being watched struck the knight. Honing in on the source, his gaze traveled to the top of a three story building across from them. A masked person in muted yellow armor been watching them intently. Perhaps a bounty hunter, he didn't know. Sensing no hostility he brushed it off and returned to the task at hand.

"Grab on."

With some hesitation her body pressed into his back and her arms wrapped carefully around his waist. Though she was merely doing as she was told, he tensed at her touch. It was not unwelcome, however.

As they rode off into the green horizon, wind billowing around them, he felt the senator's face come forward and rest against him.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N** : Well, hello! I wanted to take a moment and sincerely thank anyone and everyone who's followed, favorited, reviewed, or enjoyed this fic in any capacity (even the silent lurkers or the thirsty ones who are just here for the dirt - yes, I appreciate you too!). To be honest I'm surprised, but thoroughly thrilled, that anyone might like what I've haphazardly thrown together.

Between mucho work, not abandoning my boyfriend, and tending to social obligations my updates can be infrequent. Not only that, but it seriously takes me such a long-ass time to write anything. Even then it's not very good and I make all sorts of (non-plot impacting) edits sometimes weeks after posting. Wooops. Looking at you, Chapter 20.

But, to anyone that wants to know, I'm still thirsting for Kylo Ren and this story harder than ever. I've been slowly working on this monstrosity since January and I'm amazed I've kept the momentum going for so long. At the risk of giving it more hype than it deserves, it's only now that I'm really started to get to where I want to go in the story and there's a lot more that I'm personally excited for.

Spoiler alert, the next chapter is going to be NSFW. Not to be a tease, but I can almost guarantee it will not take another month to update. I'm also in the process of revamping Chapter 17 (currently the only NSFW chapter) because I'm not super proud of it and, for what it is, it's not what it could be. It definitely won't impact the plot nor will it necessitate proceeding chapter rewrites/additional rereads from the audience. It's mostly for me because it's my fanfic and I do what I want. But, also for the thirsty stragglers who would just come here for that. Or for anyone who might like it, really.

tldr; smut is on the way

Enjoy the chapter. Or don't! I'm not the boss of you.

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How surreal it was, standing side by side in an elevator with Kylo Ren.

Neither of them spoke nor acknowledged one another as it ascended, both staring intently at the metal door before them. The placid, mechanical whir buzzed in the senator's ears; an awkward moment of quiet that didn't quite fit amidst the day's chaos.

There were many things on Chell Niobe's mind, but the internal cacophony left her focusing on none of it. She felt numb to it, distant, and in no way eager to unpack what's been going on in her life as of today – especially not now, not here of all places. Instead, she was uncomfortably aware of her immediate present. Her steady breath. His clenched fists. The hum of the lift.

Because fate decided she was too comfortable, she realized this was the same elevator they kissed in.

Gods.

The air was rife with things unsaid, namely that thing was: _Hey, why'd you rescue me, specifically?_ But, she felt inexplicably uncomfortable broaching the subject. Chell could talk circles around politicians, move arenas full of people with her words. At times she could be very persuasive. But, addressing a simple question to an audience of one? Inconceivable, apparently.

Chell snuck a glance up at the stoic, metal visage of the man next to her. On cue, he turned his head just so to catch her staring in his peripherals. She promptly looked away, feeling a little stupid. How can he see in that thing anyway?

After a time, she gently she cleared her throat and spoke, "I didn't realize you cared so much for politics."

"I don't."

Eyes cast down, her lips formed a drawled out _oh._

No elaboration? Nothing? Well, serves her right for not asking a straightforward question.

In the absence of a concrete clarification, she speculated. Was he ordered to recover her? Not likely. Only one individual had authority over Kylo Ren, and Chell doubted that their vague and mysterious Supreme Leader gave one or any shits about her. No offense to herself or her place in the galaxy, but she really couldn't fathom him delegating such a presumably low priority task to his prized agent. They had so many other resources at their disposal, sending Kylo Ren to do anything was literally overkill. Speaking of, wasn't he charged with some "very important" mission? Wasn't that the whole reason he was on planet? Shouldn't this leave no time for the likes of her?

Based on her immediate surmise, he probably wasn't following orders. Additionally, he found little to no merit in her political work. If both statements are true, then that could mean…

Oh.

The alternative seemed laughable as there's simply no way he'd just _go get her_ himself. To what end would he single-handedly annihilate the Coruscant chapter of the Zann Consortium? To sweep her off her feet? To ride off together in that disgusting, green horizon? They've already had sex, he had his fun, he got what he wanted – there was no romance between them. That's not what this is.

Of course, there remained the possibility that he just _really_ wanted to fuck her again - to the point where he'd murder anyone who got in his way. But, it'd be preposterous to go through so much trouble just for that, right?

Right!

Ha ha. Ha…

Oh.

Except it was the only theory that really fit.

Oh…

The metallic doors slid open with a friendly _ding!_

When they entered her apartment the bustling of everyone present gradually ceased. Coruscant Police and First Order personnel stopped to stare and fall in line as they noticed their presence. Beaten up, dirty, blood spattered - Chell knew she looked pretty rough, but she wholly and truly ran out of fucks for the day. Jacket sleeves rolled to her elbows, she moved with purpose towards her most pompous colleague, Senator Breiner.

"Senator Niobe! Thank goodness you're safe. We were so worr-"

Ruthless, open palm _slap_.

Quite literally gobsmacked, Vand staggered a step back before delicately cupping a hand to his cheek. Though he certainly could have, Kylo Ren did nothing to intervene. Confused as to whether or not their superior was complicit with this action, the 'troopers simply hovered; awkwardly raising and lowering their stun weapons, awaiting orders.

"I told you not to disarm me," she chided, now pointing at him. "But, did you listen? No. You _never_ listen."

"I do listen-"

"Really? Because if it weren't for your boy, _prince of darkness_ , over there I'd look a hell of a lot worse than I do right now. And to think, all of this could have been avoided had I been allowed the weapons I asked for."

"It's not just up to me, senator. Why aren't you hitting _him_?" Referring, of course, to Kylo Ren.

"Because _he_ actually went out and did something instead of jerk off in my apartment all day," she spat. "But also, because I can't and I don't want to die today.

"And for the record…" Reaching inside her jacket she whipped out her newly acquired blaster by the barrel, wagging the handle in front of Breiner's chest. "I'm definitely keeping this. And if you try to take it _so help me_ I will slap the taste out of your mouth. For your benefit, get this cleared with whoever you need to."

Breiner had winced ever so slightly at the idea of being slapped again. After a couple blinks, however, he seemed more tickled than threatened. With a somewhat tight, acquiescent smile, he nodded. "Then I will see to it."

Abruptly and resolutely finished with their conversation, Chell moved to her desk where she inserted the data drive. Unbeknownst to the room, she began uploading a wealth of Zann Consortium and other underworld knowledge to her databank, later to be disbursed amongst her allies. At once she was approached by a couple of investigators, badgering her with questions so they could finish their reports.

In the corner of her eye, she saw a blur of black making its way towards the exit. Ironically, it was the only person she didn't really want to go. It would feel wrong to never openly discuss why the fuck he did what he just did. Who knows when she'd have another opportunity to talk to him? If he does, indeed, do anything other than fight and fuck.

The knight hesitated, as if sensing her stare drill conspicuously into the back of his helmet. He stopped and looked back to acknowledge her. It was then that she was certain he knew what she wanted. He would stay, she felt it. They were communicating without words, connecting on a profoundly metaphysical- _aand he's gone_.

Figures.

Despite her unwillingness to be fussed over, investigators, Stormtroopers, and all other extraneous persons were directed out of the room. Senator Breiner insisted that she be medically examined and allowed ample time to rest. For once, he was actually in the right.

"In light of your absence, I've postponed all appointments until you were able to reschedule them – do consider using this time to rest. Also, a technician will come by in the morning to repair the... wall in your room."

"Wait, what?"

The man didn't seem to hear her. Instead, he regarded her rather fondly. Behaving as though they were partaking in a sentimental moment, he gushed, "It is good to have you back, dear. If there's anything you need, just buzz."

"What's wrong with the wall?"

He disappeared before she got an answer. With everyone gone the medic began her examination. Fortunately it was brief and noninvasive, cleaning cuts and checking for any serious damage. Chell would recover, of course. She always did. No doubt she would start to feel the events of the day by morning. To help with this, the medic left her with a generous amount of painkillers before taking off.

But, for now, they weren't needed. She just felt numb. Physically, emotionally numb.

Slowly, she caught a heel with a toe and slid off the boots she stole. Leaving them where she stood, she walked barefoot towards the kitchen.

It was late now; well past midnight. If her body was battered and exhausted, Chell couldn't feel it yet - couldn't even think about the emotional ramifications she'd contend with once the dust settles. It wasn't even just today's trauma, but a culmination of everything that's happened in the past month, and the burden of responsibility she carries in general. Without Nebula at her side, it was unbearable. Even as she outwardly held it together, went through the motions of how a stronger person would behave, she knew she wasn't okay. Not really.

Absently opening the door to her empty freezer, she placed the rolled up, bloody cloth from her pocket inside. The act itself was casual, like she was storing ice cream instead of a man's severed ear.

She would never admit it out loud, but she found a minute sense of comfort being close to the man in black today. The same man who hunted her, threatened her, and may even still regard her as a prisoner. The very same man who fucked her in a sacred library, didn't call back, and then killed an awful lot of people to retrieve her. Yes, this was the insufferable man she wanted to see again. Was this wise? No. Was this soul-crushing stress and over three days of no sleep impacting her judgement? A little bit, yes.

Chell recalled their ride back to the Senate District, she had allowed her cheek to come forward and rest between his shoulder blades. In a flickering moment of weakness, she craved contact; a touch that wasn't even sexual. Just something to tether her to reality, to remind her that she wasn't back in that interrogation room, face deep in the water. Senator Niobe wasn't a fool, she never believed she was ever truly safe - the day's events did a fine job of reaffirming that. But, if only for a moment, however fleeting, she wanted to buy into the illusion that she could be.

What better place than the eye of the storm himself?

It took her a minute to realize she had just been staring into her freezer like it was some kind of abyss. Her face now chilled, she closed the door and shuffled over to her room. Upon arriving, her nose wrinkled at a stale, burnt smell.

 _What the…_

Chell turned to blink at the many cooled, melted gashes in her wall. Her armchair was also mysteriously singed into tatters.

Her mouth gaped, silently forming around words she didn't even know how to start. There was one particular plasma sword she knew could cause such a mess. But, did he…? Why would he…?

Eh.

 _Let's just… tackle that later._

Not in the critical thinking sort of mood, she continued her shuffle into the 'fresher. Discarding the jacket, she looked in the mirror for the first time since her capture. Her face was decorated with a variety of nicks and fresh bruises, the medic had stuck a few white strips over the bigger cuts. _Could be worse_ , she told herself. It felt like déjà vu, having shared a moment almost identical to this a month ago on the _Finalizer_. Admittingly, the Zann Consortium did more of a number on her today than the First Order ever had. Common sense told her to shower, to shed her bloody night garment, to get in the water and scrub the sweat and filth from her skin. But, then again...

 _An unforgiving heel of a hand pummeled her head back into the basin; the water swallowing her, so desperate for air, she flailed until darkness closed in on all sides_.

… the idea of it kind of stressed her out right now.

Instead she opted to just brush her teeth and thoroughly wash out all taste of the Zann Consortium.

Common sense then told her to sleep, but it turns out she wasn't eager to crawl back into the same bed she was abducted from either. Weird.

Body laboriously unable to relax, she went back out into the main area of the apartment. Rest was the furthest thing from her mind. Despite it being the best thing for her, she knew couldn't bring herself to do it without a fight. The battery would have to drain the old fashioned way. Which was fine, there was still so much to do, after all. There was legislation to review, a crime cartel to destroy, an existential crisis to desperately avoid, etc.

First things first though, the place was ransacked. Did anyone like… expect to find her hiding in some drawer? Setting her blaster on the ground, she knelt in front of the couch and began fixing the senselessly overturned cushions. It was then, as she fixed the last one, she was struck by a familiar inkling.

He had returned.


	22. Chapter 22 (NSFW)

**A/N:** I know in a previous chapter I said I'd censor my story a bit for this site. But, it turns out... 1. I'm not sure the guidelines here are enforced as strictly as I thought (?) and 2. Ain't nobody got time for that. So, heads up,  this will be an explicitly graphic chapter. I hope that's alright!

If for whatever reason this fic vanishes from the site, it still exists on Archive of Our Own (a03). Under the same title and username - Januarysixth.

So... enjoy! *sprinkles chum into water*

* * *

Chell paused.

She hadn't heard anyone come in, but she didn't need to. The sensation of his presence was becoming familiar to her. When he entered a room, he would want it to be known. A force of nature, gravity itself would bend to acknowledge him. Despite this, she calmly resumed fixing the last cushion before addressing him – as if he wasn't just shadowing her every thought, hoping he'd come back.

Finished, she rose to face her visitor.

"The hero returns," she greeted, more caustic than cordial.

Kylo Ren still kept a couple yards of distance between them. The void in his helmet was fixed in her direction, unnervingly still.

"You pulled me out of a bad place today. Perhaps you even saved my life," she determined. "You went through a great deal trouble to bring me back… Why?"

Instead of sucking his dick with gratitude, all she could do was knit her brow in suspicion. "What's your angle here, commander? I should have nothing left of value for you – and yet here we stand."

The senator could almost feel him breathe in his indignation. "I could have left you, had I known you'd be so… ungrateful."

Chell opened her mouth to retaliate, but ultimately held her tongue as she lost steam. _Damn_. How low had she sunk that Kylo Ren, of all people, had to call her out for being kind of an asshole? What made it worse, she knew he was merely manipulating a particular reaction out of her - it worked nonetheless.

Begrudgingly, the senator shifted lanes back to the high road. "No, you're right. Whatever your reasons, I… am grateful to still be here." Chell sighed and rubbed her forehead, struggling more than she should to submit two simple words. This wasn't going well. "Thank you," she conceded finally, giving up on her point. "I should have just led with that."

There, that wasn't so bad. It was only half as painful as she expected.

Then, without a response, as if he wasn't going to spare her another word, the man in black turned to leave.

"Wait - where are you going?" she asked, just barely suppressing her concern.

"You said what you wanted to say," he explained dispassionately. "And now I'm leaving."

"Don't..." The plea started to leave her mouth before she could stop herself, her hand reaching into the air after him.

He stilled.

Self-consciously retracting her hand, she finished the thought. "Don't go."

 _Ah, fuck_.

As the helmet turned to meet her gaze, Chell was aware that she shouldn't have sought this out; that she was raising the devil and inviting in a host of what could be nasty repercussions. In spite of this, she had zero desire to be a responsible individual tonight. There was something the wizard could give her – something she knew he wanted as well. She longed to forget the day, to forget many things, if only for a short while.

No matter the cost.

In a few, measured steps he stood directly before her. Taller than a goddamn house, the senator found herself shrinking under him with each passing second. Though he said nothing, she noticed the visor roving over her. In her peripherals, she saw his fingers fidgeting in his fists.

Words began to pour from her mouth.

"I mean, I _know_ why you came for me. I'm not naïve," she clarified, his black gaze boring into her. "But, that's just it, isn't it? We've already had sex and - I'm not sure you know this, but there are plenty of other women out there. Women you don't have to lay waste to entire gang operations to maybe sleep with for a second... time…"

Halfway through her last sentence, the latches on his helmet were undone with a _hiss_ and themetal soon dangled at his side. The scrutiny of his intense, amber stare was enough to silence her.

Chell shivered at the touch of leather delicately tracing her skin. _Guess we're not talking anymore_. As he stroked her jawline, she noticed how intently he surveyed her face. Recalling her reflection, it's likely he was examining the plethora of cuts, nicks, and bruises she sustained during her luxurious stay at the Zann Consortium base. His plush lips pursed as he did, presumably managing his expectations for the evening (or early morning, technically).

"You know what it means if I stay," he murmured, still appraising her wounds.

She nodded, eyes transfixed to his face.

"I would not be gentle."

Breathing suddenly became a conscious effort. The promise alone had her cheeks radiating.

 _Gentle?_ The word echoed in her head. _Gentle_ couldn't give her what she wanted. _Gentle_ couldn't fuck her into a coma and give her temporary amnesia of this harrowing day. Honestly…

 _Gentle_ wishes it could satisfy her needs.

Mildly humored, she responded to the warning in a breath. "I know."

The helmet was instantaneously cast aside as he took hold of where he had caressed her neck, lips grazing fervently into hers. Nudging her, her calves caught the seat of the sofa as she lightly fell back into the corner cushions. Lowering himself after her, one of his knees rested on the inside of her leg closest to the frame. Cupping her outside thigh, he brought it up until her leg wound loosely around him. His opposing foot still touched the ground.

With him positioned between her legs, the reality of what was about to happened started to sink in. The man in black could do whatever he pleased to her, and it was exactly where she wanted to be.

Mouth hovering over hers, he easily bypassed the hem of her comically short, blood speckled garment. Once inside, the hand nefariously delved into her panties. One could argue that he was hardly doing anything yet, but she shuddered all the same as he ran his fingers through the parting of her lips.

"So wet for me already," he purred before massaging a digit into her - reveling at the way she gasped. "Is this what you wanted, senator? To feel me inside of you?" Another joined soon after. Her breath hitched and her hands clasped into the pillows on either side of her. By the stars, his fingers were so much larger than hers, effortlessly reaching places she never could by herself. Places even her past partners couldn't touch – not like this. Even just two of his fingers made her feel stretched, the leather turning it a whole new experience entirely.

"R-Ren," she whined his name. It was the very first time she did without proper honorifics - and it did not go unnoticed.

Curling his fingers forward he began to pulse rapidly into her. At the abrupt sensation, Chell cried out, jolting beneath him. It didn't matter how she moved, he stayed locked inside of her, punishing her g-spot with a relentless _come-hither_ motion. It was getting hot, so unbearably hot. Somewhere in the midst of it, his face trailed to down to taste the crook of her neck.

In no time at all she was a panting, whining mess; a meager swatch of putty in his immense, powerful hands. Her untouched nub throbbing, she started to grab at nothing, at him.

"Fuck - are all senators so _desperate_?" he mocked, teeth teasing her jugular.

The sensible part of her was outraged at the degradation, but it was also too busy getting fingered to protest. Rather than be offended, she was reluctantly aroused by the truth of it. Look at her, she _was_ that desperate and it was just too much – his merciless ministrations, the heat of his breath, his mouth greedily devouring the salt of her sweat. There was even still blood on her, blood that may not have been hers. It was supposed to be dirty, he wasn't supposed to like that - and yet he devoured her.

It kept building. Her hands dug into his chest, unsure if she was pushing him away or pulling him in or both. Her toes dug into the cushions, her hips instinctively grinding into his knuckles. Fervid coils wound tighter and tighter around his fingers. Gods, she was getting so close.

"I-I… I'm going to- I'm gonna- _Ah_ , _ah!_ "

Right as she teetered off the edge, his fingers halted and pressed firmly into that one spot - she cried out, she cursed. The pressure dragged out and drowned her in an already intense climax. When she finally stabilized, he pulled out and away; just enough admire the state of her from his vantage point. In turn, she was able to see him. Her hazy eyes rolled down the giant frame half-kneeling and looming above her, black robes scratching her bare skin.

Without question, her lips closed around the two fingers that were just inside her; sucking on them, mindlessly working her tongue against the leather.

"You'd like to like forget everything that's happened today," he thought aloud, idly working his digits around her slick mouth. "Part of you thinks if I fuck you hard enough then you will. I hate to tell you it doesn't work like that. But, I'm still happy to oblige." Now clean, he pulled his fingers from her and guided her jaw to look at him.

"Do you want me to fuck you, senator?" he inquired smoothly, leering at the hapless mess beneath him. "Do you want to pretend that today never happened?"

Verbal response caught in her throat. Her lips parted as though to speak, but instead could only nod meekly into his grip. She wanted more than anything to surrender to this silly notion.

"Beg for it," he sneered, still husky as ever. "I want to hear a little honesty from that lying mouth."

Going into this, she suspected her pride would not leave unscathed. It was a compromise she subconsciously agreed to. Embarrassed, her eyes fluttered away, but her jaw was promptly tugged back into place; reminding her where her focus ought to be.

"Please," she breathed pathetically, wilting to his degrading whim. "I… I need you to fuck me. Please, commander."

Perversely satisfied, he released her as a low groan rumbled through his chest.

Still weak from her orgasm, her limbs were pliant to however Ren sought to reposition them. Not like he needed any help turning her around, her body weighed nothing to him. Brought to her knees with her back to him, he seized her hip and pushed her forward until her face pressed into the support cushions. She gripped the frame near her face to prepare for what came next. Nudging her legs apart, he poised himself to despoil all that lay between.

A great, leather hand smoothed up her side, eclipsing her waist and taking the hem of her laughably short garment with it. Craning her neck to look at him, there was a ravenous glint in his eye as he drunk in the sight of her; bent over and entirely at his mercy.

With a swift shuffle of fabric, he freed himself and let his heavy shaft fall between her cheeks. Fingertips kneading into her ass, his thumb hooked the fabric of her panties and tugged it aside. Guiding the tip of his rigid cock, he hungrily prodded her now exposed, still swollen folds.

When he started to push in he would find much less resistance than their previous encounter. All the same, he groaned the moment his stiff, throbbing head was cinched by her entrance. Even at this she squirmed, but the hands now both gripping her ass kept her in place. Good gods, he was so thick. But, of course he wouldn't stop there.

True to his word, he was not gentle.

In a moment Chell had wholly anticipated, but couldn't be ever be ready for, he jerked her hips back into him. Hard. She cried out, involuntarily contracting around the intrusion. "R-Ren- _Ah!_ " Her bare cheeks kissed the leather of his pants. Her face planted into the cushions and her short nails clawed into the frame. She could scarcely relax herself, but she was wet enough where even his enormous cock could slide through her. And did he ever.

Perhaps adjusting to the sensation himself, he pulsed towards the back of her. "Gods, I almost forgot how- _tight_ you are." It was painful, taking all of him, but _stars_ she wanted it. Eyes still closed, she turned her face so she could at least breathe. Her shuddered whimpers filled the room as his pace and the force of his thrusts increased; walls melting like butter around him. The fingertips digging into the top of her ass cheeks was sure to bruise her, but she didn't care.

Another obscene groan tore from his throat as he shoved into her. "I should have- _fuck_ , I should have just taken you on base. Look at you. You would have _loved_ it."

At present, she would have witlessly agreed with anything the man said. Intellectually she found the idea deplorable. But, part of her knew that could have been a genuine possibility, had he pursued it then and there. She hated how the thought even occurred to him. She hated how he clearly got off on it. More importantly, she hated how he was right.

"After all, it wouldn't be the first time you were indecent with a man in public. Would it, senator?"

That hypocrite, how dare he.

Pitching a murderous look, she managed to seethe between thrusts. "Wh-who's inde-cent?"

"Who's-?" Fiendishly, he groaned."I'll show you."

Chell squealed at the sharp bite of leather against her ass. He _spanked_ her and it stung. Immediately following that he angled himself downwards, using the buoyancy of the cushions in his favor to unforgivingly pummel himself into her. "I'll fucking show you," he panted.

It was unlike anything she felt before, painful in a way she didn't think was possible. Overwhelmed, Chell hid her face, muffling her screams and incomprehensible pleas into the pillow. But, she wasn't asking him to stop. On the contrary, she _begged_ him to keep going. This was exactly what she wanted – to get fucked to the point where she didn't know anything else, couldn't know anything else. Nothing. Only stupid, blinding ecstasy.

"Look at me."

She kept her face smothered in darkness, unable and unwilling to do anything except get brutally fucked.

" _Look at me_."

Again, she couldn't.

With a pained noise, he slowed himself into a stop. Hips stilled, his cock twitched voraciously inside of her. It felt like he had been close, practically on the brink, but he didn't cum. Not yet.

Chell still felt her body reverberating as he pulled out. She didn't even struggle when he dragged her further down the couch, flipping her onto her back – her dirty slip still hoisted up at her waist. He wasted no time getting the position to how he wanted it; drawing her hips to his lap, her legs bending to either side of him. He was eager to stuff that weeping cock back in.

It was only when they made eye contact that he gave pause.

Reaching forward, he took her jaw in hand. The look in gave her wasn't necessarily pity or concern, but it was strange. At first she didn't know why. It wasn't until the pad of his thumb brushed over her cheekbone, catching a tear, that she realized she'd been crying.

"Don't stop," she ordered through gritted teeth, her voice raw. "Just, _don't stop…_ " she pleaded.

Having no intention to be asked a third time, he obliged in earnest. Maneuvering her legs, he peeled off her panties and sank vehemently back into her cunt.

It didn't hurt quite like it did a moment ago, but he was no less vigorous. In moments her fingers were anchored into the seat out of necessity. Back arching, delirious with pleasure - It felt so hot, so good. The closer she came, the harder it was for her to stay in the moment. Fed up with constantly redirecting her focus, Ren squeezed her jaw in one hand while the other pressed possessively down her inner thigh.

Eyes locked together, she squirmed futilely under him.

"R-Ren," she mewled. "You're gonna make me – I'm gonna… I-" Another climax lurched arduously through her, the rapture paralyzing. Her eyes were brimming, but he wasn't finished with her yet. The knight didn't bother to slow down for her recovery and she was consumed by a wretched sort of bliss.

Oh, _stars_ she was still cumming. Even as he pumped ruthlessly into her, she was still cumming.

"Is this what you killed all those people for?" she managed through the heat, walls quivering around his plunging cock. "So I can _look_ at you when you cum?"

His breath harried.

"So you can _use_ me?"

In response his hand switched from her jaw to her throat, seizing her jugular in his unyielding grip. Whatever he continued to mutter, it was drowned out by the sound of blood pulsing against her ears – the sound of leather furiously hitting flesh. Like a beast he rutted into her, pushing her overstimulated cunt far past the brink. Any whine, any word or facial contortion from her only incensed him further into a frenzy.

In the throes of passion, Chell wasn't even sure what was said, or how many times she fervently screamed his name. When she thought she couldn't take anymore, couldn't clench any harder, he came. A strangled howl rumbled from his chest as he buried himself entirely into her, riding out each staggering contraction until he was utterly spent.

Once again, they were left panting and bewildered in the sweaty aftermath of what they'd done.

An indiscernible amount of time passed and the knight relinquished his (now relaxed) hold on her neck and body. Easing himself out of her, Chell winced at the vacancy. With that profound emptiness, a cold realization struck her –

This was not how she wanted to feel.

After two shattering orgasms she had hoped her body would get put the fuck to sleep. That she would feel a manufactured semblance of peace long enough to reclaim her sanity. But alas, the restlessness wormed in her still. Darkness waned her thoughts.

Sitting upright between her, the commander had just finished tucking himself away. Chell gestured vaguely to the floor. In wordless understanding, he retrieved the discarded panties for her.

"Thank you," she mumbled.

Instead of putting them on, she just sat up and used it to catch whatever unceremoniously dribbled out of her.

Kylo Ren collected his helmet and rose to his feet. It wasn't lost on her that he didn't immediately bolt like he did in the archives. It went without saying that he wouldn't stay, but he lingered for a moment. Her gaze didn't stray from the floor, but she felt his eyes weigh on her. Being with another person right now – she didn't want anyone to see her in this sorry state. Besides, what could he have possibly wanted from her now?

"Please, see yourself out," the senator said mildly, wearily.

Though not intentionally unkind, it lacked the post-coital compassion one might offer in a mutually vulnerable state. Such protocol may seem silly to extend to someone like Kylo Ren. But, as soon as the words left her mouth she recognized this - she even felt a little badly for it. Especially when he was hardly one to blame for her current woes. Not really, anyway.

Before the helmet fully enveloped his face, Chell called out to him, gently. He paused.

"You can come back sometime - if you'd like."

It was not a typical underhanded remark, nor was it a desperate plea or display of power. Rather, an open invitation. They were both adults, that door had been opened twice already. What's the big deal, if it's only sex?

Also, post-orgasm decision making is totally the best and should always be trusted.

There was a beat where perhaps he considered it, but his expression gave nothing away. Finally securing the mask, she watched as he strode out without further acknowledgment. Anyone else might be salty by this, she imagined, but the senator didn't need any verbal confirmation.

She knew he'd be back.


End file.
